The Brotherhood
by SatinKisses
Summary: Set in Karakura CIty 2013, we follow the professional, personal and love lives of five police agents: Byakuya, Renji, Ichigo, Shunsui and Jushiro. Life, death and danger are always around them. It's the nature of their jobs. But when a cop feels down, who does he call on for help? IchiRuki, ShunLisa, ByaYoru, UkiRetsu, RenJackie, & other parings. This draws from all Bleach arcs.
1. Karakura's Finest

**A/N: Sooo . . . I lied lol. I said that I was going to finish my Inuyasha fics (which I will still do!) before I start a new story. However, I've had this story idea in my head for a while. I think it works perfectly for the Bleach world since there are so many diverse characters to choose from. This story is inspired by movies like Steel Magnolias, For Colored Girls, and others like that. So I'm not promising any happy endings lol. I'm not sure how long it will be yet but I figure it will be at least 10 chapters.**

**This is my first story with no OCs (except for a baby lol), no main female leads and that's rated T. This story stars, Byakuya, Renji, Ichigo, Shunsui and Jushiro. Set in the Real World, it is a combination of a lot of story arcs mixed into one. So if you have not read past the Aizen arcs and don't want to see spoilers, I'd advise you not to read. Other than that, I hope you guys enjoy!**

_**5/31/13 EDIT: Okay I'm going to have to make this story M instead of T because it's going to start to become more graphic in chapter three lol. I apologize if anyone's personal tastes are affected by the switch.**_

_**Rated M for strong language, alcohol use, drug use, graphic violence, and sexual themes**_

* * *

**Chapter One**

**January 11, 2013**

**Karakura City**

**Byakuya Kuchiki**

"I think . . . my water broke," Rukia said with large eyes. Byakuya immediately dropped the cardboard box in his hands that carried his vast collection of Duke Ellington records. He quickly ran across the large, empty living room over to the fireplace where his younger sister was arranging French vases and Spanish figurines. He looked down at her with concerned eyes.

"Are you alright? Do I need to make a call to Doctor Kotetsu? This is too early." Rukia looked at him confused but bit her lip in embarrassment when she realized what she had said.

"Oh, I'm sorry nii-sama. I meant my case of Dasani. I think some of the water bottles shattered on the way over here. Some of my clothing is wet. I'm not going into labor." A wave of relief showered over the tall man.

"Do not startle me like that. I was afraid for your health and the health of my niece or nephew."

"You don't have to worry nii-sama. My baby is not due for at least six more months. I'm barely even showing. But it's very sweet how protective you are." A small smile clung to her lips. Byakuya closed his eyes and turned, walking back to his Duke Ellington collection that now lay scattered across the floor. He quietly picked each one up and carefully stored them back inside of the box. It had already been a long night, or early morning, at work and he wanted nothing more than to take a hot shower and climb into his soft, king sized bed. He sincerely hated working the 'graveyard' shift. However, he had more pressing issues to attend to. He had to prepare his old, beautiful apartment in Seireitei Hill that he used to share with his late wife, Hisana, for his younger sister, Rukia, and her fiancé, Ichigo Kurosaki. The two late teens were moving out of their guardians' habitats and moving in together as they prepared to begin their future as a real couple. At the same time, Byakuya was moving down town to a high class neighborhood named Reiokyu. He was moving into a beautiful, brand new home that he had just finished having built.

He glanced over his shoulder as he saw the nineteen year old woman unpack a plethora of baby toys and plush animals that people had given her. She beamed with joy as she held up a rather large Chappy rabbit. It was almost as big as she was. Byakuya held back a grin as he remembered how much she had been a fan of the toy when she was 14 years old.

"Nii-sama, look! Isn't this one so cute? Ukitake-san gave this one to me."

"Yes, I saw him with it one day at the thirteenth precinct. He had it tucked away in the corner of his office."

"Ohhh I really hope I have a girl, Nii-sama. I'm going to shower her in so much Chappy stuff. Oh I'm so excited! And then we have the wedding in October. Can this year get any better?!"

"You must calm down, Rukia. Please don't excite the baby."

"Oh nii-sama, I'm fine. Trust me." However, Rukia reluctantly took her elder brother's advice when she saw the stern look in his eyes. _Oh, Byakuya, you really need to loosen up._ The younger Kuchiki reached inside of another box and pulled out a picture of Hisana. She stared at it for a few moments. _They say that I look so much like Hisana, but I actually think she was prettier than me. I see why nii-sama loved her so much._

"I think I am going to be finished for today. I'm very exhausted and it would be foolish to continue packing in this condition." Rukia set the picture to the side and looked up at her brother. He wasn't lying. His usually stoic face clearly showed how tired he felt.

"Yeah, nii-sama, go ahead and get some rest. I will get Ichigo to help me some more when he gets off work today."

"Alright. Just don't let that boy touch the far room. I want to move those things myself." Rukia knew exactly which room he was referring to. It was the room where all of Hisana's belongs was in storage. That room would eventually become the baby's room. However, Rukia knew better than to mess with it without her brother's consent.

"I won't, Nii-sama. You have my word." Byakuya nodded. He walked to the door and lifted his officer's hat and jacket from the hooks beside it. He walked out into the crisp air and snow dusted ground without saying another word.

* * *

**Ichigo Kurosaki**

"Ichigo Kurosaki reporting for duty."

"You're late."

Ichigo's eyes widened as he stared at his blonde superior dumbfounded. He tilted his head to the side.

"I'm sorry?"

"I said that you're late."

"Late? But I arrived exactly on time. My shift starts at 10AM. It's 10AM on the dot." The tall officer shook his head as he rose from his seat in the Station Five office.

"Listen, I don't know how you did things as a bounty hunter, but here at Station Five, we do things in an organized fashion. You're on time if you're early. You're late if you're on time." Ichigo smirked.

"What if you're late?" The blond narrowed his eyes. He was tempted to smack the orange-haired eighteen year-old over his head.

"Don't be so sassy." Ichigo chuckled.

"Sorry, Shinji. I'm not used to you being so professional."

"Well get used to it. That's how things are run down here at the Fifth. And it's Hirako-keibu as long as we're on duty."

"Right, Hirako-Keibu."

"Ahhh stop putting on an act, Baldy." Shinji shuddered as the angry voice of his long-time friend suddenly appeared behind him. He looked over his shoulder, surprised to see the tiny woman standing there with her hands on her hips.

"Hiyori?! What are you doing here? I thought you were still on leave from that injury you suffered when we had that shootout with Aizen." Hiyori Sarugaki rolled her eyes.

"I am but Hinamori asked me to fill in for her. Those counseling sessions you ordered? Yeah, she had to attend one today." A light clicked on in Shinji's head.

"Ohhhh yeaaaah. I did order her to see a counselor once a week, didn't I?" He bent at the waist and stared Hiyori right in the eyes. "Well then, _subordinate_, get to work."

"Shut your face, Baldy!" Hiyori said before socking Shinji in the face, busting his nose. Shinji instantaneously grabbed his face and threw his head back. Hiyori chuckled as she walked away.

"Damn you, Hiyori! I- I'm docking your pay!" Ichigo felt like he was in some popular anime watching the scene that just occurred. _This is like that one manga by Tite Kubo._

"Wait a minute, did you say Aizen? As in Sosuke Aizen? The Japanese ex-cop who somehow became leader of a Columbian drug cartel?" Shinji nodded his head as he wiped away blood with a Kleenex.

"Yes, that's the one. I see you've heard of him before."

"Yea I have. I had a bounty on one of his dealers before. The one who ran the Swiss cartel. A guy named G. Jaegerjaques."

"Yes, Jaegerjaques is the sixth man in Aizen's gang. He's also the ninth on our most wanted list. I take it that the bounty did not go so well since we have reports of him being seen recently at a local McDonald's." Ichigo's breath hitched in his throat.

"Well . . . um . . . you see – "

"No need to explain. What you did as a vigilante is your own business. You get to start fresh here at KCPD." He reached over onto his desk and grabbed two manila file folders that were stacked full of papers. He handed it to the younger, brand-new police officer. "Here are your first assignments. Determining by what you have just told me, you should be familiar with the first one." Cocking an eyebrow, Ichigo opened the first folder. He felt like he had been Punk'd when a large mug shot of Grimmjow Jaegerjaques appeared before him.

"What is this?" he asked annoyed. "Are you really assigning Grimmjow to me? Is this some kind of joke?"

"No I assure you, I'm dead serious. But wait, you haven't opened the other one." Ichigo closed the file and changed positions with the other. When he opened it, he saw a mug shot of the fourth man in Aizen's gang, Ulquiorra Schiffer. "Your first assignments are to arrest both of these men within a year's time. You do that and you will most surely get a promotion."

"Hey, why me?" Shinji smirked again.

"Well, why not you? You're about to be a father, Ichigo. Do you honestly expect to support both a Kuchiki wife and a Kuchiki baby on an entry policeman's salary? As my friend, I'm offering you a chance to earn a significant raise by becoming a sergeant. But if you don't want –"

"No. I'll do the jobs. It's no problem Shin – I mean, Hirako-keibu." Shinji slapped the shorter man on the shoulders.

"That's what I like to hear. Now come along so I can introduce you to the squad."

* * *

**Shunsui Kyoraku**

". . . what? This can't be real." Shunsui Kyoraku felt a sweat drop form as he held the back of his neck, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Well geez, have a little faith in me why don't you? Does it really come that much of a shock?"

"Actually . . . yea. It kinda does. I mean aren't you supposed to be at work right now? I thought that Wednesdays and Saturdays were your off days."

"Yes, but I decided to call in today. Being captain of the eighth precinct does have its benefits."

"Case and point."

"Aw now you've gone and hurt my feelings, Lisa-chan. I thought you had more faith in me." The woman rolled her green eyes.

"I see that liquor is taking effect already." She patted him on his shoulder before turning to walk away. Shunsui watched the slender figure of his favorite Urahara's Bar and Grill waitress, Lisa Yodamaru, sashay away. He whistled silently as he paid attention to how her hips swung with each step. It's not like he had never noticed before. He had noticed plenty of times. How could he not after all of those nights they had spent together? They were an odd pair. Not exactly together but not exactly single either. A closer case of friends-with-benefits he would say.

Shunsui took another sip of his favorite Japanese sake and looked over the letter again. He read it to himself out loud. "To Shunsui Kyoraku of the Station Eight. According to the powers invested in us, Central 46, we hereby name you Keibu-seshi of Karakura City Police Department." Each time he read it, it still took him by surprise. However, at the same time, it didn't. It had been a few months since the former general, Shigekuni Yamamoto, had fallen in service. Central 46 was bound to choose his replacement eventually. Out of the captains of Karakura's thirteen precincts, he and Jushiro were the most experienced. However, Jushiro's health eliminated him from contention. So who else could they have chosen?

He shook his head and placed the letter back inside of his back pocket. He chuckled before taking another sip of sake. "Oh Yama-jii. Why did you have to go so soon?"

"So soon? Shunsui, the man was like a gazillion years old. If you ask me, he should have retired long ago," Lisa said upon returning to her loyal customer's table with a plate of steamed buns and another bottle of sake.

"Don't be so disrespectful, Lisa-chan. Great wisdom came from that man. He will most definitely be missed by all who served in Karakura City Police Department." Lisa smirked.

"Yea, I guess you're right. I did enjoy his lectures when I was studying at the academy. Too bad I never became a cop though. I could have witnessed those dynamic stories first hand." Shunsui grinned as he seductively wrapped a hand around her waist. He pulled her in closer.

"I'm glad you decided against a law enforcement career. You're far too pretty to fight, Lisa-chan." Still smirking, Lisa rolled her eyes. She wriggled free from the brown haired man.

"Oh Shunsui, you flatter me."

"Eh, you know me. I'm quite the charmer."

"I'm sure. Do you want me to prepare your check?" He waved his hand and poured another glass of sake.

"No thank you. I believe I will just wait here and watch the game until the guys arrive. Plus you know how much I love spending time with you." She rolled her eyes again.

"Yes, I do. Unfortunately." Shunsui couldn't help but laugh as she walked away.

* * *

**Renji Abarai**

_EEEEEEEEEK! _

"Stop! Police!" Renji Abarai blew his whistle loudly as he chased the criminal through the streets through Kusajishi Heights one of the poorer, eastside neighborhoods of Karakura City.

"Go to hell, pig!" The criminal yelled back as she maneuvered through the people walking along the sidewalks that blocked her way to freedom. Running fast in her black boots, the slender woman panted heavily as she desperately tried to escape the red haired police officer that trailed her. The heavy package of marijuana that she clung to slightly slowed her down. _Dammit Kugo! How dare you set up the drop off with an undercover cop? You should have known that this dude was a pig in disguise. Freaking idiot!_

"I said stop!" Renji blew his whistle again, this time more loudly. Citizens in Karakura City stared with wide eyes as they watched the scene, reminiscent to a cop drama, unfold before their eyes. Renji was desperate to catch the woman. He had gone months without a single arrest, the only lieutenant in the entire Karakura City Police Department to do so. Even that porker Marechiyo had made an arrest within the last week. Two at that! His reputation was tainting and he risked demotion or suspension. His captain, Byakuya Kuchiki, had warned him that if he had not made another arrest by the end of January, he would be put on leave. So when he had been offered an assignment as an undercover drug dealer, he quickly jumped on it. Catching a dealer would be an easy task, or so he thought.

The dark skinned woman turned the corner and raced up a deserted alley way, hoping to have lost the man trailing her. She climbed the first chain-linked fence that stood in her way and jumped to the other side. She only took a quick moment to catch her breath as she soon heard the rapid footsteps of someone behind her. Sure enough, it was that damn red-haired cop with the tattoos. _Seriously, to hell with this!_

"You might as well stop! This is pointless!" Renji called after her, climbing the fence that she had climbed earlier.

"It's only pointless if you catch me and that is NOT about to happen!" Soon, a second fence appeared. The woman quickly climbed that one and jumped to the other side. She miscalculated her landing and ended up spraining her right wrist while attempting to break her fall. She groaned in pain as she quickly jumped to her feet, her white jeans and black boots dirty from the mud she had fallen into. She looked above her and saw the large billboard that housed a picture of District Attorney, Ginrei Kuchiki. _That billboard means that I'm not too far from the bar. Good, I can drop this off with Kugo and then head off to the boutique._

Renji sighed annoyed as he climbed the second fence, gaining ground. I_ should have brought a K-9. Oh Renji, the stuff you go through to keep your job._ Landing on the other side, he saw a trail of muddy footprints indicating where the deviant had been. He figured if he just put a more Usain Bolt-like effort behind his steps, he would be able to catch her. Using every ounce of energy he had left, he quickened his pace and ran at full speed.

The woman panicked as she headed toward the end of the alleyway. What used to be another chain fence that separated it from the main highway was now a brick wall. _When did this get here?! Damn! _She panted rapidly as she looked around her trying to find a way to escape. _Think Jackie, think!_ Jackie began to panic more as she heard the cop's footsteps get closer. A set of steel steps that lead up to the back way of an apartment caught her eye. She figured she could make her getaway there. However that thought was short-lived.

"UNGH!" Jackie felt a tremendous amount of pain in her sprung wrist as she came crashing to the ground. Renji looked down at her with hungry eyes and a victorious grin as he wrestled her against the ground.

"I finally got you!"

"Ugh get off me! Help! Rape! Rape! He's trying to rape meeee! Hellllp!"

"Oh shut up! Nobody is going to believe that I'm trying to rape you! All I have to do is show them my badge!" He moved his black jacket to the side and revealed his golden police badge that hung from the belt of his pants.

"Get off me! Let go, you're hurting me!"

"Now why would I do that?! You shouldn't have run! It's your own fault that you're injured!" He reached behind himself and grabbed a pair of handcuffs that also dangled from his belt. He quickly flipped the struggling woman onto her stomach and cuffed her hands behind her back. "Get up!" He demanded as he pulled her up by her arms. She growled as she stared at him with defiant brown eyes.

"Police brutality. You think you can just treat people any kind of way, don't you!"

"Oh please, I'm not even being that aggressive. Just shut up and stay still." He grabbed his police radio attached to his hip. "Karakura City Station Five. Over," he said into the static filled receiver. A few moments later, a reply came.

"This is Station Five. Over," the man on the other end said.

"Hirako-keibu, I have a 10-29V and a 10-52: request for Precinct Five to send a patrol car and a K-9 unit to the alleyway before Ginjo's Bar and Grill in Kusajishi Heights. Over."

"I'm on the way, Abarai-keibu-ho. Over and out." He bent down and carefully picked up the case of marijuana that had fallen during the struggle. He held it only by the string as to not tamper with evidence. He placed it to the side. He turned to the dark skinned beauty before him.

"You and I are going to stay here until Shinji Hirako-keibu arrives. You're lucky that my captain is off duty." Jackie rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I'm shaking in complete fear," she sarcastically replied. He narrowed his eyes.

"What is your name?" She smirked.

"Beyoncé Knowles." He narrowed his eyes again.

"Whatever. I'll find out soon enough."

* * *

**Jushiro Ukitake**

"Now are you completely sure that you're going to be okay?" Jushiro asked concerned as he pulled up to the front Mashiba High School in the Hokutan neighborhood. The white haired boy in the front seat reddened and closed his eyes, annoyed.

"Yes, Juu-jisan. For the last time, I am fine. I am fifteen years old now. I am more than capable of taking care of myself.

"I'm aware of that, Toshiro. I just don't want you to be stranded out here alone. It might be a long time before I come back."

"I can always take the subway back home. Seriously, you have got to stop being so over protective. It's so embarrassing." Jushiro chuckled and nodded his head. He reached over and ruffled his hair a little.

"I'm sorry. I can't help it. You're my favorite nephew, you know." Toshiro rolled his eyes. He opened the door and climbed out of the car, anxious to head to Mashiba's soccer field where he would be trying out for the varsity soccer team. He was very nervous but tried his best not to show it. He leaned against the window pane.

"Yea, yea I know. I'll catch you later okay?" Jushiro nodded his head and coughed.

"Alright. Have fun out there. I know that you're going to do a great job." Toshiro waved and nodded before jogging towards the door of the school. Jushiro waited until he was inside before driving off.

He hated to be late. He could only hope that his doctor would understand. Being a single 'dad' and captain of Station Thirteen in Karakura City's Police Department were taxing responsibilities. Sometimes they interfered with his, otherwise, good punctuality. However, he pretty much figured that Retsu would not hold it against him. They had known each other for quite some time, going back to when they were college dorm mates. She was a very compassionate woman. That he knew for sure.

He walked through the doors of Karakura City General Hospital and took the elevator to the third floor. He walked to the receptionist's desk which was right in front of the elevator. The blonde young woman blushed and smiled. "Hello, Ukitake-san." He returned the smile.

"Hello, Nurse Kiyone. I have an appointment with Doctor Unohana today."

"Oh yes. She has been waiting for you. Go on back, I'll let you in."

"Thank you very much." Kiyone pressed the button and let the tall, slender man back to the area that housed the examination rooms.

"Good afternoon, Retsu-chan. You're looking mighty well today," Jushiro said with another big smile when he walked into his exam room. He promptly sat on the examination table. Retsu returned the smile.

"Thank you very much, so do you." She pulled up a stool and sat down beside him. She flipped a few pages on her clipboard. "The results from your last test have come back." He raised his brows slightly.

"Oh, so soon? I didn't think they'd be back for at least another few weeks."

"Well, diagnostics has been more efficient since we hired Doctor Kurotsuchi to run the lab. We are able to get results in rapid time now. Most return in a few days."

"That's excellent. So what's the news?" Retsu paused for a moment. She had to gather her thoughts. She had done this several times throughout her career, but it never got any easier. This time would be no different, especially considering their relationship.

"We did find a tumor on your right lung . . . and unfortunately . . . it is malignant." _Malignant . . . oh . . . is that right?_

"I see." Jushiro did not exactly know how to react to the news. At that moment he felt no sadness or anger or fear or anything else. He was too busy trying to process the information that he didn't know how to feel.

"But, I have some good news for you. Your tumor is located on a part of your lungs that can easily be operated on." Jushiro smirked.

"An easy _lung_ surgery, Retsu?" Retsu smiled softly.

"Yes, I suppose I could have phrased that better. What I mean to say is that we can remove the tumor from your lung. Hopefully when we do, it will remove the cancerous tissue before it spreads further into the body."

"Well, that is very good news indeed."

"Yes it is." Retsu removed a pen from her pocket and wrote on a notepad that she had retrieved from another pocket. After she had written down her instructions, she gave it to the patient. She pointed at the first line. "I'm going to prescribe a low dosage of this medicine for you to take. This should ease your coughing spells substantially. I am also going to prescribe this medicine for any pain that you may have. This should also help fight infections. I am going to schedule your surgery about two weeks from now so make sure that you let your boss know that you are going to have to take some time off." Jushiro nodded his head in agreement.

"Yes, I will definitely do that."

"In the meantime, try not to save the day too much, Keibu." He laughed.

"I'll try not to. Thanks Retsu." He extended his arms for a hug which was gladly accepted.

"Anytime, Jushiro."

* * *

**Shunsui Kyoraku**

"My oh my. I can already tell that you're going to need something strong," Shunsui said with a grin as the bright red-haired lieutenant came through the doors of Urahara's and walked over to the tall table where his superior sat. He smirked as he climbed into one of the tall stools.

"That obvious huh?"

"I'd say. You look beat," Jushiro said with a warm smile.

"Seriously. Renji you look a mess. Your hotness has lost its effect," Lisa agreed as she sat down the drinks that had been ordered.

"Gee, thanks Lisa." Looking around the table, he saw that he was the last to arrive. Shunsui, Jushiro, Byakuya, and Ichigo had all gotten settled at their usual table and were already enjoying their routine get-togethers. It had been that way for at least a year. Many Friday night at eight, when they weren't too busy, the five men would sit and talk and enjoy each other's company. Sometimes other officers, like Shinji or Shuhei or Rose or Kenpachi would join them, but most of the time it was just those five.

"What was with that woman Shinji and I picked up today? She had a really smart mouth." Renji shook his head as he looked through the alcoholic beverage menu. He sighed.

"I have no freakin' clue. All I know is that she works for the Xcution drug cartel and I hope I never have to see her again. She almost made me go insane when I was waiting on you guys' patrol car." He closed the menu and turned to Lisa. "Let me get a Black Velvet and an order of taiyaki please."

"You got it," she replied before walking away.

"You made an arrest today? On an Xcution member no less? Very impressive. I am pleased Abarai-keibu-ho," Byakuya said in his normal monotone.

"Thanks captain."

"That is impressive, Renji," Jushiro agreed. "I heard that those Xcution members can be a handful."

"They are," Shunsui said. "But they're not nearly as dangerous as the Arrancar cartel or the Vandenreich's evil regime. Those guys are ruthless."

"Yes I know," Ichigo said, staring at his basket of French fries. "Shinji assigned the cases of Grimmjow Jaegerjaques and Ulquiorra Schiffer to me today. He wants me to arrest both within the year."

"You should be thankful," Byakuya said. "For Hirako-keibu to do that, it means that he has faith in your abilities as an officer. You should not take it lightly. This is a huge opportunity for you to move up in rank." He nodded his head.

"You're right, Byakuya."

"Yea he is, so don't screw it up like you did when you was a bounty hunter," Renji taunted. Ichigo balled his fists.

"You shut up! It won't be like the last time. I'm going to capture both of those guys if it's the last thing I do. I have to provide for Rukia and our child so she won't consider going back to the force." Renji chuckled as he reached over and stole one of Ichigo's fries.

"Now you know and I know and everyone at this table knows that as soon as Rukia has that baby, she is going to be itching to get back into a police uniform. Rukia as a housewife? That is something I definitely can't see."

"Shut up. I can have hope can't I?"

"Ha. Yeah, false hope."

"I said shut up."

"Why is it that everything always turns into a pissing match between you two?" Renji and Ichigo turned to see that Lisa had returned with Renji's order. She set it down in front of him and shook her head. Renji took a sip of his drink before pointing at his younger friend.

"Because he keeps insisting on engaging in dumbassery."

"Why you –"

"Dumbassery or not, can you two chill? Please don't make a scene like last time." Both Renji and Ichigo remember the occasion she meant very well. What started off as a discussion about futsal teams ended up with Tessai, the bouncer, throwing both men out into the street. It would be a long time before anyone would begin to let them live it down.

"Sorry, Lisa," Ichigo nervously said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Mmmmmhm." Lisa rolled her eyes before walking away and heading to another table. Shunsui chuckled before taking another sip of sake.

"You two are quite the characters. You should have your own show," he said. Jushiro laughed and nodded his head.

"Changing subjects," Renji said before the embarrassment continued. "Congratulations Kyoraku-keibu on your promotion." Shunsui modestly waved a hand.

"Ah, it's not a big deal, really. Don't make such a fuss over me."

"Not a big deal? Don't be so modest, Captain," Byakuya said. "Becoming Chief of Police is a huge accomplishment. A once in a lifetime opportunity."

"That's right, Shunsui. We should celebrate," Jushiro said with a smile.

"That's not really necessary – "

"Aww come on. It will be fun!"

"We could combine it with my housewarming party next weekend," Byakuya suggested. "It seems more efficient to have both at once."

"That's a great idea," Ichigo agreed. "Plus Byakuya's house is huge. A lot of people can fit in there."

"Please do not attempt to turn this celebration into a juvenile frat party, Ichigo Kurosaki."

"I – I wasn't trying to."

"More of that famous dumassery . . ."

"Shut up, Pineapple Boy!"

"Come on, Shunsui. Let your friends do something nice for you." Shunsui turned and looked at his white-haired best friend, who stared back at him with pleading eyes. _What's up with him? He's usually not that insistent._

"Alright," he reluctantly agreed after a while. He really did not want to make a fuss about his promotion, but he did love a good party.

"Excellent. I will contact my caterer in the morning." Shunsui sighed and chuckled.

"Since it is both of our parties, can you make it a little less stuffy than a normal Kuchiki party?" Byakuya stared at him completely deadpan. His eyes were so blank that his blinks were noticeable.

"I don't understand. I do not host stuffy parties. Refined? Yes. Stuffy? No." Shunsui shook his head but said nothing. _Riiiiight. If you say so Byakuya._

The men sat together, talking and dining for a good hour and a half before going their separate ways for the evening. As Shunsui staggered from his seat, Jushiro grabbed him by the arm to help balance him. "Guess I got up too fast," he said, steadying himself. Jushiro chuckled.

"Probably so. That or it's just that you have been drinking all afternoon. I surely hope that you didn't drive over here."

"Of course not. I'm not _that_ irresponsible. I caught the subway from my apartment."

"Well, I'm more than happy to take you home. I called Toshiro and he's already made it in for the night so I have time to spare."

"I don't want to trouble you."

"Nonsense, you know it's never a trouble. Plus I know that something is bothering you if you have been drinking non-stop since this afternoon." Shunsui chuckled.

"We really have been best friends for too long. You can read me like a book. Alright, I'll come along for the ride." Jushiro smiled warmly.

"Great, because you're not the only one who needs his best friend's support right now."

* * *

**A/N: I really hope y'all liked it. It's kind of hard for me to write from a man's perspective lol. I will update within the month. Please be patient if you do like it lol.**


	2. MAAD CIty

**A/N: Thank you Yuukiyanagi and anon. for the reviews :). Thank you guys for reading :D. **

**Alright, so I made minor adjustments to the previous chapter so if you'd like you can re-read it. The only difference is that I removed the dates and times (because I could already tell that was gonna be trouble lol) and the weekly get-togethers are now less frequent.**

**We we last left, Byakuya was helping Rukia move into his old place, Renji made his first arrest in months, Shunsui was made Chief of Police, Ichigo was assigned two high profile cases, and Jushiro learned that he had a cancerous tumor. Let's see what happens next:**

* * *

**Chapter Two**

**Shunsui and Jushiro**

Shunsui's lavish city apartment in the Dangai Square neighborhood was simple, yet refined. It was large, spacious and clean with chic furniture and an elegant flair. The man had style and it showed. Inviting his best friend inside, he offered him a glass of scotch. Jushiro promptly declined leaving Shunsui to pour only one.

Jushiro chuckled. "You're still able to drink?"

"How long have you known me?"

"You're right. That was a dumb question." The two men laughed as Shunsui came over to stand by Jushiro as he overlooked the city skyline through the large, living room window. The snowy haired man nodded his thanks as he took the glass of water. "I have always wanted an apartment like this. Just look at this view! I truly envy you my friend."

"Yes, I remember you were looking for a high-rise apartment around Chidoribashi some years back. Why did you decide to move to Okenyama?"

"The schools are a little better there. Okenyama schools nurture gifted children and help cultivate their gifts. I figured that it would be the best place for Toshiro when I took him in."

"Right, right. That boy is very intelligent. You must be a proud uncle." Jushiro beamed.

"I definitely am." Shunsui nodded and smiled. "So talk to me. How are you feeling about the promotion?" Shunsui swallowed hard.

"Honestly? I'm very nervous about it."

"Why is that?"

"Ahh come on, you don't know? Yama-jii is a hard act to follow." Shunsui swirled the liquor around in the small glass as he and Jushiro walked over to his black, leather couch. "I just keep thinking that I won't measure up to him. Not to mention that a lot of people are going to be reluctant to trust my leadership. But I suppose it's only natural to feel that way after having served so long under one leader."

"I think you're going to do an excellent job if you ask me. You are an excellent officer and have years upon years of experience. I definitely think that Central 46 made the right decision when they appointed you Chief." He shook his shoulder. "Of course you won't be like Sensei. There can only be one of him. However you can be like Shunsui Sozosa Kyoraku no Jiro, which, if you ask me, is great in its own way." Shunsui smirked as he took a big sip of the scotch.

"I've known you for almost thirty years now and you still always know what to say. You are one of a kind." Jushiro humbly smiled. "So what's been going on with you lately?"

Jushiro sighed. "I went to see Retsu today for the coughing spells I've been having. I was hoping she would be able to do something about it. So over the last few weeks I've been taking a series of medical tests." Shunsui raised an eyebrow.

"And was she able to help you out? What was wrong?" Jushiro licked his lips. They felt dry and so did his throat. He drank a few sips of water before setting the glass back on the table.

"I have . . . I have cancer, Shunsui." That had been the first time he had said it out loud since he learned the news. It only hit home right then. _I have . . . cancer._

Shunsui froze. The scotch glass pressed firmly against his lips and his eyes squarely on the man in front of him. The distinguished man with such charm and a magnetic personality was at a complete loss for words. He was too busy trying to process the information to react properly. _Did he just say . . ._

"However . . . Retsu said that it was operable so I should be fine. The tumor on my lung was caught very early."

"How are you feeling about this?"

"Well . . . I can't lie to you, it is a little scary, but I believe everything will work out for good. Retsu is an excellent surgeon so I trust her with my life; literally." They both softly chuckled.

"Have you told your siblings or Toshiro yet?" He shook his head.

"You're the first person I've told so far. I'm going to wait a little while before I tell anyone else, especially Toshiro. He's been so excited lately with soccer. I don't want to see those smiles go away just yet. It's so rare to see him this happy about something."

"I understand."

"But when I do tell him, I really hope he takes it as well as you." Shunsui smirked.

"I actually don't know how well I'm taking it. I think I'm in a state of shock or denial really. To see you so optimistic about everything does calm me however."

"Good. I don't want to burden anyone." Jushiro grinned as he looked at his Michael Kors, gold plated watch. It was a little past midnight. "You are so lucky that you don't have to work on Saturdays," he said as he sprung to his feet and redressed in his outerwear. Shunsui sighed contently as he put his feet up on the coffee table.

"That's the benefit of being Chief of Police."

"Yes, I suppose so. I, however, have to be at work by nine so I'm going to go. You want to meet up for dinner after I get off?"

"Sounds good to me."

"Alright, see you tomorrow." The man with the winter tresses cheerfully walked out of the apartment. Shunsui sat peacefully in the dark of night, quietly drinking his scotch, lost in thought.

. . ._cancer._

* * *

**Renji**

He had only been on duty for an hour when he got the call. A woman reported a domestic disturbance coming from one of the new houses in the Fugai District. He had gotten this call a lot recently. In fact, this had been the third time he had been out there in just four weeks!

"Get out! Just get out! Get your crap and go!" Renji sighed deeply and bumped his forehead on the steering wheel when he pulled up to the neighborhood. A few of the neighbors were standing outside watching the show. _I should have known it was them. Ugh, they always do this act. Everyone knows that they'll be back together by next week._

Renji slammed the door to his car and walked up the path to the home. The brawling couple didn't seem to notice that a police officer was heading toward them; or at least, they didn't care. "Yo! You two are a pain in my ass. I'm getting sick of coming out here all of the time," Renji said, annoyed. He walked up to the man that was currently picking up his personal belongings that his girlfriend was tossing onto the ground from their second floor bedroom window. "It's too early for you guys to be carrying on like this. You guys are pissing off your neighbors." The beautiful, blue eyed woman sneered as she prepared to launch a cluster of clothing.

"Oh, really? Let me guess. It must be that old hag who called you!" She grunted as she tossed the apparel to the ground. Her boyfriend grumbled as he attempted to catch them. "Well, you can tell her to mind her own business!"

"Rangiku, stop! These are my good clothes! You're going to mess them up!" Rangiku put a hand on her hip and looked at the raven haired man defiantly.

"And you think I care because?"

"Um, because you love me?"

"Shuhei, if I truly loved you, would I be this tempted to torch all of your crap?!" Shuhei's eyes widened like saucers.

"Torch? No, you wouldn't dare!" Rangiku smirked again as she held up a lighter. Shuhei immediately dropped his clothing and ran to the front door. He struggled at the knob, attempting to get inside of their home which the blonde had locked. She had also taken his key. Rangiku giggled.

"Sorry. No entry for yo~u."

"Rangiku open this door!"

"Nope."

"Open it now!"

"Okay that's enough," Renji said. "You two are acting like complete idiots. I don't know why you keep doing this to each other, but it's getting old. You need to handle your drama like the adults you are. Rangiku, let Shuhei inside before I break down this door." Rangiku pouted as she flipped her long blonde hair. She knew that he was serious. She would much rather swallow her pride and let her idiot boyfriend back inside instead of paying for a brand new door.

Shuhei and Renji waited impatiently for the front door to open. When it did, Rangiku stormed outside with another cluster of clothing. She angrily shoved them into his arms. "You can come inside, but only to pack your things. I want you out of my house!"

"Go in the house and stop acting like a child, Rangiku," Renji said, very annoyed at this point. "You too Shuhei. Freakin' idiots." Rangiku rolled her eyes but strutted back inside her home. Shuhei quickly followed, more so out of embarrassment than because of Renji. When the door closed behind him, Renji let out a string of swears and walked back to his car.

As the cherry haired lieutenant signed a few log books at Karakura City Jail, the lieutenant of KCPD's third station, Izuru Kira, laughed as Renji retold the events that happened earlier.

"He was only in his boxers? Are you serious?"

"I'm definitely not joking. Rangiku wasn't playing. She just may be serious this time around." Izuru shook his head.

"Nah, I don't think she is. I say give it a few days. They'll make up soon."

"Come on, come on. Don't make that face. Surely you can't still be mad at me." Renji looked up from the books as he heard a man and woman loudly disagreeing several feet away from him. His eyes narrowed when he saw that the woman was the same woman he had arrested just yesterday. _That woman; Jackie Tristan. I think that was her name._

The dark skinned, twenty four year old woman stared at her friend with angry eyes. She folded her arms over her chest and tilted her head to the side. "Why wouldn't I be mad at you? It's your fault that I'm here in the first place. I'm actually surprised that you didn't send Shu or Giriko down here to come pick me up." The dark haired man laughed as he put a hand behind his neck.

"You think too little of me, Jackie. I know how to take responsibility when I mess up. I said I was sorry. Gee, can you give a guy a break?" Jackie sighed and rolled her hazel-brown eyes. She glanced over her friend's shoulder, a brief flash of crimson catching her eyes. She narrowed them upon seeing the face of her arrester. _There is that arrogant cop from the other day. What a jerk._

After signing the book, Renji looked over to his left again and caught Jackie staring at him. The look in her eyes told her disdain. Renji couldn't agree more with the sentiments, staring back at her with the same amount of contempt. The tall man with Jackie cocked his thick eyebrow as he noticed her staring off into the space behind him. "What are you looking at?" he asked, turning around before waiting for an answer. He smirked widely as he saw Renji glaring at both of them. He turned back around and chuckled. "Oh snap. Looks like you got a boyfriend," he joked. Jackie ripped her eyes from Renji and stared at the other man with the same intense glare.

"You say the most idiotic shit sometimes, Kugo." Kugo laughed as he removed a small bundle of cash from his jeans pocket. He shook his head as he counted Jackie's bail.

"If you don't want me to bail you out so you can spend more time with your man, by all means, stop me."

"Shut up." Kugo laughed as he walked a little ways down the hall, over to the cashier. Jackie tried to resist looking in Renji's direction. She knew that it would only fuel Kugo's teasing. However, she just couldn't help but get the feeling that the man's eyes were still on her as if he was daring her to say something. Well, if that was his reason, she would not back down from the challenge. As her friend paid the cashier, Jackie discreetly turned her eyes to the chocolate eyed man. Sure enough, he still had the same hard look.

"Do you need something?" she asked, annoyed by his fixation on her. Renji smirked, realizing that he had struck a nerve.

"Why are you even asking me that?"

"Because you keep looking over here. I just assumed that you needed something."

"You there, watch your tone!" Izuru sternly said, rising from his seat behind the front desk. Renji turned to his friend and dismissively waved his hand, letting the blonde know that he was alright. Setting the log book back down on the desk, Renji casually walked over to the drug dealer. He smirked as he leaned against the booking desk, standing only a few feet away from her.

"You are a very angry woman aren't you, Jackie Tristan?"

"Please. Annoyed is more like it. Like I would spend my time and energy being angry at you."

"Hmm, is that right?"

"Yes, it is right."

"Well, to answer your question earlier, no I don't need anything. However _you_ do."

"Oh? Please enlightenment me."

"You need to get some better friends." He motioned his head over toward Kugo. "He's going to be brought down very soon and I'm sure that you don't want to be around when that happens, now do you? I'd suggest leaving that fool alone; unless you secretly enjoy seeing this handsome face every day." Jackie was at a loss for words. His brief moment of sincerity interfered with any cynical and sarcastic response she had in her repertoire. When Kugo returned, he placed an arm around Jackie's shoulders and glared at the red head.

"You ready, Jackie?" he asked, two sets of brown eyes clashing.

"Yeah," she replied, also participating in the staring match. Renji smirked again as the two deviants passed him and headed toward the exit. Jackie sincerely wished that he had turned around and did not watch her as she left. That way, he would have never seen her look back at him as she walked out of the jail.

* * *

**Shunsui**

After what seemed like a short weekend, Monday morning finally came; the day that Shunsui had been both looking forward to and dreading. On his very first day as the new Chief of Police, the brunette decided to gather the captains from the thirteen stations for a mandatory meeting. His primary goal was to discuss the dramatic upswing in crime within Karakura City.

"This is Xcution," he began, pointing a laser at a large whiteboard with three rows of photographs and writing. "This is a low level drug ring that's basically limited to Naruki City and Karakura City. Their leader is Kugo Ginjo. Although they aren't a big ring, they are efficient. We often have trouble getting any evidence against them and the evidence that we currently have is so little that it is not enough to convict Ginjo."

"How many members of Xcution are there?" Rose Otoribashi, captain of the third station asked.

"We are unsure. Again, they run their crime ring so efficiently that it is hard to acquire data about them. Until the other day when Lieutenant Abarai arrested Jackie Tristan, the only confirmed member we knew of was Ginjo. We estimate that their size is around ten people at the most."

"That's not too bad," Sui Feng, captain of Station Two confidently said. "With just ten people, it should not be hard to bring them down. All we need to do is catch two or three and the rest will fall. Little drug rings like that easily crumble under pressure."

"While that is true in theory, again, the biggest issue is evidence. We have suspicion to believe that Ginjo is the leader but we have no concrete evidence to press charges. We only have enough evidence to press charges against Jackie Tristan and there is no guarantee that she will talk."

"No to mention that she is now out on bail," Byakuya added.

"That's right."

"Well what do you propose we do about it then?" the captain of the seventh station, Sajin Komamura asked.

"I propose more undercover assignments. Lieutenant Abarai was able to catch the first Xcution member that way so I see no reason why it shouldn't work again."

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Rose said. The other captains agreed. Shunsui smirked. _I'm off to a good start, Yama-jii._

"Excellent. Now let's move on to our second most wanted in our crime list; the Arrancar Cartel. Of course we all know who the top leaders in this drug ring are. Shinji chuckled and rolled his eyes.

"How could we forget? Rose, Kensei, Love and I were the first captains he cut down."

"Yes, not to mention poor little Hiyori and Mashiro," Rose agreed.

"According to sources, Aizen, Ichimaru and Tosen are still currently residing in Hueco Mundo, Columbia. However we have reason to believe that he has recently purchased a mansion just outside of the city limits and that some of his cartel commanders are currently living there."

"I know for sure that Grimmjow Jaegerjaques and Ulquiorra Schiffer are in Japan," Shinji said. "I have assigned their cases to some of my junior officers."

"How could you be so stupid?" Sui Feng scolded. "Those men are part of Las Espadas. They are very dangerous; too dangerous for a junior officer to handle." Shinji smirked.

"I have great faith in my junior officers. They simply know how to get the job done; especially one in particular." As Shinji and Sui Feng debated, Shunsui passed out manila files containing photographs. Each of the captains removed the contents and closely inspected them. They were all black and white candid shots that looked as if they were taken by a private investigator.

"These are Las Espadas, the top ten members of the Arrancar Cartel other than the three traitors. Each of them is in charge of running a cartel in a separate country. However, we do not necessarily know which countries they are assigned to. However, we can confirm that Jaegerjaques is commander of the Swiss cartel and Schiffer is commander of the German cartel. We have reports that they have activity in France, Spain and Honduras as well."

"What purpose could they have in Japan if they are supposed to be in those countries?" Love Aikawa, captain of Station Ten, asked.

"I'm not sure, but that's what we're here for. I want all officers to be on the lookout for these criminals at all times. Station Two especially since it is our official investigation squad." Sui Feng nodded her head. Shunsui moved the laser to the third row.

"Last, but not least, we have the most notorious cartel and number one on our most wanted list, the Vandenreich lead by Yhwach. The Vandenreich are extremely dangerous and pose an even greater risk than the Arrancer. There are two reasons for this. The first reason is that members are always armed and dangerous and will not hesitate to kill you. The second reason is that they are the only cartel on our watch list that engages in organ trade." Most of the captains' eyes widened.

"Organ trade?! How long has this bullshit been going on?" Station Nine captain, Kensei Muguruma asked.

"This is a recent development that has only started within the last two months or so."

"Chief . . . what about Yhwach?" Jushiro asked. "Has anyone been able to find out where he is? We can't just let Sensei's killer go free."

"No, we have not. However, Central 46 has determined that for our case against the Vandenreich, we are going to need assistance from the NPA's Guard. Two of the commanders of the NPA should be coming here for a meeting in three weeks. Therefore, I am scheduling another mandatory captains meeting then so we all can discuss the matter together." Shunsui capped his laser and placed his hands on the podium. "Alright ladies and gentlemen, that is all for today. This meeting is adjourned."

* * *

**Byakuya**

"~Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday dear Rukiaaaaa. Happy Birthday to youuuu~."

Rukia giggled into the phone as she listened to her and Ichigo's longtime friend, Orihime Inoue, serenade her (horribly) on the other end.

"Thank you very much," she humbly said with a large smile on her lips. "You are such a sweetheart and thank you for the cake you made. Uryu stopped by and dropped it off before he went to work."

"You're very welcome. I tried my best to stick to a standard chocolate recipe. No fancy stuff. I know how you guys get creeped out when I add things to my pastries." Rukia sweat dropped and smiled nervously.

"Ah . . . uh – well, uhhh - "

"But it's all good!" Orihime cheerfully replied. "I just wanted to call you before I go to work. I need to get ready actually. Rangiku will kill me if I'm late."

"Alright. I am going to see you this weekend at my brother's party right?"

"Of course you will. Uryu and I will definitely be there." Rukia giggled again at the nursing student's enthusiasm.

"Okay. See you soon. Bye Orihime."

"You are quite a popular girl. People have been calling you non-stop today," Byakuya calmly said as Rukia hung up her cell. Rukia blushed.

"Aw, I wouldn't say all that, Nii-sama. They are just being nice."

"Well, they wouldn't be nice to someone they didn't like now would they?" Rukia humbly smiled before sipping on the sparkling grape juice that had just arrived at the table. Her twentieth birthday had been excellent so far. Many of her friends had given her lovely gifts, she received discounts at all of her favorite stores, she passed her criminology exam and the sex with Ichigo that morning had been very satisfying. Now she was enjoying a wonderful afternoon with her brother at Gatonden, a restaurant in a high class neighborhood called Junrinan. After his shift and her classes ended, Byakuya decided to treat his little sister to a wonderful lunch at the five-star restaurant. He often frequented the establishment, drawn by the innovative cooking and delicious meals prepared by the legendary chef, Kirio Hikifune. However that was not the only reason why one could say that this was Byakuya's favorite restaurant. This was also the place where he first met Hisana.

"Nii-sama . . . have you thought about . . . you know . . . possibly marrying again?" The sudden and random question caught the twenty nine year old off guard. He looked up at the young woman, who was blushing hard after realizing what she asked. _Those were inside thoughts, Rukia. Inside thoughts stay on the inside._

"Where is this coming from?"

"I – I'm sorry to have asked, Nii-sama," she fumbled, hoping that he would ignore her question. "I didn't mean it."

"Yes you did," he replied. His voice was calm as usual. He showed no signs of anger, which surprised the twenty year old. He raised a brow at the dumbfounded expression on her face. "It's alright, Rukia. I'm not offended by your question. I do, however, wonder why you ask."

"Well . . . it's just that, it's been almost five years since Nee-sama passed away and I haven't even seen you go on a date in all this time."

"Perhaps my obligations as captain have taken priority over my romantic life."

"I understand, Nii-sama, but . . . don't you get lonely sometimes?" He stopped pouring a glass of wine and looked at the concerned young woman. Rukia loved her brother dearly. She was about to become a wife and mother and she wanted him to have a family of his own too. She wanted to see him happy again. She wanted to see him smile like he had in all of the pictures he had taken with Hisana.

"I have yet to find a woman that captures my attention like Hisana. It's pointless and cruel to lead a woman on in which you have no interest."

"Well, I think you should give it a try. You might surprise yourself." He thought about his sister's words. He had been absent from the dating scene for quite some time and he did not know if he was ready to dive back in, even after five years as a widower. Nevertheless, his sister had a point. He did get lonely in that large, empty home. Perhaps it was time to put himself out there.

"Alright, I shall take your advice, Rukia," he calmly said. Rukia was pleasantly surprised that he had considered her opinion. She radiated from ear to ear.

"Nii-sama, that's great! If you don't mind, I have some ladies in mind that I think you'd like. Hold on a moment, let me get my iPad." Rukia excitedly rummaged through her bag. Byakuya was starting to wonder what he had agreed to.

* * *

**Jushiro**

Jushiro smiled happily as he looked at the lavish spread he had laid out on the dining room table. It all looked so delicious that he was very tempted to just dive right in. However, he decided that it would have been rude to start eating now since Toshiro and his little friend had not arrived yet. It slightly caught him off guard when his nephew told him that he was bringing a friend over for dinner. Toshiro was a sweet and a good young man at heart; however his quick temper and emotional walls sometimes made it hard for him to make friends. The only friends that he can remember being over frequently were Karin Kurosaki and Momo Hinamori. He and Momo had been best friends since elementary school when he was only a first grader and she was in fourth. However, their contact had been lessened recently since she went off to college and started working in the police force. Jushiro could tell that Toshiro missed her greatly, so he was happy when he told him that he was having a friend over for dinner that night.

"Juu-jisan! I'm home!" Toshiro called out to his uncle when he walked through the doors of their home. Curious to meet the boy whom his nephew had recently befriended, Jushiro hurried out of the kitchen and walked to the living room where he gave the two teenagers a warm smile. However that smile quickly faded when he finally got a good look at Toshiro's companion. The boy actually turned out to be a girl. With chin length green hair, pink eyes and very fair skin the girl was . . . different. Not to mention the provocative way she was dressed which Jushiro found to be very age inappropriate. _Since when did it become okay for teenage girls to wear mesh tops?_

Nevertheless, Jushiro cordially welcomed his guest despite the fact that he was unsure if he approved. "Well, hello young lady," he said with another smile, extending his hand to greet her.

"Hi," she replied, shaking his hand.

"Juu-jisan, this is my girlfriend, Lilynette Gingerbuck." Jushiro's eyes widened, his brows lifted and his breath hitched for a moment.

"G – Girlfriend?" he said, as if he had been mistaken. Toshiro looked at him indignantly.

"Yes, she's my girlfriend." This new information completely took the forty-five year old man by surprise. _Girlfriend?! Since when did this happen?! I never expected Toshiro to fall for girls so soon. I mean he never gave any signs. Oh great . . . this means that we're going to have to have 'The Talk' now. Wait, Jushiro get it together. This may not be as serious as you think._

"Oh. Well . . . it's very nice to meet you, Lilynette," Jushiro said, trying his best to mask his surprise. "I have prepared a nice meal in your honor. It's not often Toshiro brings friend over. I hope you're hungry." Lilynette smiled as she rubbed her exposed stomach.

"Yeah, thanks I'm starving," she said as the two followed the tall man into the dining room. The fifteen year old girl almost foamed at the mouth when she saw all of the food that was on the table. It had been a long time since she had eaten like this. As soon as she sat down, she began piling food on her plate. Jushiro was slightly taken aback by the amount of food that she planned on eating, but said nothing at risk of being rude.

"So . . . you two are dating, huh?" Jushiro said, digging for information. He looked at his dependent. "When did this happen?"

"At try-outs," Toshiro casually replied, as if his uncle should have already known that information.

"Yeah I was about to get blasted in the face by this big ass ball, but he knocked it away in time before it hit me."

"I asked her out and she said yeah. So here we are." Jushiro looked at the two teens feeling that he was missing more of the story. It sounded like too simple of a meeting for two people with strong personalities like theirs. However, he didn't press for more information. _I'll find out more eventually, if needed._

"Wow that is certainly an interesting way to meet."

"Oh we've known each other for a while. I met Toshiro when I transferred here from America. We're in the same class."

"Oh you're from America, are you? I noticed that your accent was a little different." Lilynette nodded as she inhaled the tempura udon noodles before her.

"Yeah, my brother and I moved over here not too long ago from Nueva Jersey. He recently got a huge promotion that required him to relocate to Japan."

"A promotion you say? May I ask what your brother does?" Lilynette swallowed hard at the question. She always hated when people asked what her brother did for a living. What was she supposed to say to that? Was she really supposed to tell people the truth; that he was one of the biggest drug lords in the United States? No, she decided to tell him what she told everyone else.

"He's in sales. He sells medicine for a pharmaceutical company here."

"Oh really? Those jobs pay well I hear."

"Yeah, they surely do," Lilynette muttered under her breath. He had a feeling that the girl was lying to him. Her uncomfortable shifting in her chair was a dead giveaway. _I don't know about this one . . ._

After dinner, Jushiro offered to drive Lilynette home. She declined and said that she was comfortable taking the subway. Reluctant to send her out alone, Jushiro finally agreed, but called and paid for a taxi instead. As he and Toshiro cleaned up, he decided to pick the boy's brain.

"Lilynette seems like a very . . . interesting girl." Toshiro grinned.

"She is. She's smart and funny and edgy. I like that about her."

"She seems like she'd be a rough one to handle. Are you sure that you're ready to date?"

"I can handle her, it's no problem."

"Alright, if you say so. Oh, by the way, Karin called earlier before you came home. She said that she wanted you to call her back soon." Toshiro froze and stared at the plates in his hands.

"I'll call her later."

"Are you sure? She sounded like it was really important."

"I said later." Toshiro rushed over to the sink and dropped the plates into the water. He walked over to the coat rack and picked up his jacket. Jushiro lifted a brow.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to take a walk. I'll be back soon."

"You better not miss curfew like you did a few nights ago."

"Don't worry, I won't." Jushiro stared at his white haired nephew as he walked out of the kitchen door. He had been acting that way for a while now. He tensed and became defensive anytime someone mentioned Karin's name. Jushiro shook his head and smiled as he began to wash the dishes.

"Teenagers."

* * *

**Ichigo**

Contrary to Ichigo's preconceptions about the life of a police officer, there wasn't that much crime that occurred during the early morning hours. He expected to be chasing criminals all throughout the night with epic gun fights occurring in the danger of darkness. However during his entire eight hour shift, he had only gotten a handful of calls for minor crimes. Back when he was a bounty hunter, his nights were full of action. Now he was . . . bored.

That's why he was more than ready to leave when the clock struck 3am. Before he headed home, Ichigo decided to stop by one of his favorite restaurants, Kokuto's Yakiniku, in the Chidoribashi neighborhood. It was one of the few restaurants open this time of night that he liked to visit, even if it was twenty minutes away from his job and thirty minutes from his home. Luckily for him, traffic was light.

Stomach growling, Ichigo practically jumped out of his car. "Assurez-vous qu'ils ont mon argent ici vendredi!" He immediately stopped in his tracks when he heard someone angrily yelling in French. _That voice! I know that voice!_ Looking over to his left, he saw a tall and muscular man wearing an all-white suit. He was propped up against a brand new Lexus parked by the sidewalk, angrily yelling into his cellphone. Ichigo did recognize the man. There was no mistaking it. The blue hair that glistened in the street light was a dead giveaway. _Grimmjow Jaegerjaques, aka Number Six._

"Je le jure! Vous etes un abruti plus grand que Ulquiorra!" Although Ichigo did not understand French, he picked up 'Ulquiorra'. He assumed that he was probably talking to another one of Aizen's Espadas.

Ichigo did not quite know how to approach the situation. Had he still been a bounty hunter, he would have just dived right in and apprehended him. However, he was now a police officer and could not make any arrests while off duty. Still, he could not let this opportunity slip away. Capturing Grimmjow would mean that he was already halfway there to his promotion. He had to do this for Rukia and their unborn child. This was the first step in becoming a real man in his eyes. It would finally earn him the respect and trust of his unenthusiastic future brother-in-law.

Ichigo quietly walked back to his car. He decided to wait until Grimmjow pulled off. He would follow him to wherever he was going for the night. Then he would call one of his fellow officers to make the arrest.

Grimmjow continued to argue loudly in his native language before hanging up his phone and getting back into the luxury car. Ichigo waited a few moments before pulling off as well. The blue eyed man had not noticed his presence so far and he intended to keep it that way. Ichigo always tried to make sure to stay on car behind as he tailed the white car through the streets of Karakura City. The paths and directions Grimmjow took seemed to suggest that he was headed to Karakura Village. Karakura Village was a very popular middle class community in east midtown Karakura City. It was also the neighborhood where his father and sisters lived along with several of his other friends; Orihime, Chad, Tatsuki, Uryu and Keigo just to name a few.

If Grimmjow was headed toward Karakura Village, then Ichigo would make sure that he was arrested. He did not want any crime to invade his family and friends' lives. Upon arrival in Karakura Village, Grimmjow pulled off to the side and parked his car. Ichigo followed, making sure to stay back to maintain his secrecy. He watched behind a row of bushes as Grimmjow placed another call. _Damn I wish I was able to hear what he was saying. _Moments later, Grimmjow started to drive again and Ichigo continued his pursuit.

Ichigo wondered how far Grimmjow planned to drive. The two had just exited Karakura Village and were now headed toward the upper-class community of Dangai Square. Before entering, Grimmjow pulled off to the side again. He parked his Lexus by the side-walk of a very dark and empty street. Like before, Ichigo followed, trying his best to maintain distance. Ichigo watched intensely as Grimmjow exited the car. However because he was so engrossed with the man whom he was pursuing, he did not notice when three men pulled up to his black Nissan. The largest one shattered the driver's window with a baseball bat.

"Kisama! Why are you following Grimmjow-sama?!" Another man yelled as he opened the door and grabbed Ichigo. The ginger's eyes widened as he struggled against him.

"What the hell?! Who are you guys?!"

"Shut up!" Ichigo tried to fight back by punching the guy in the face. The man holding the bat earlier grabbed him as well and drug him out of the car and into the middle of the deserted street. The third man, a slender pretty boy with long blonde hair, punched Ichigo in the stomach and face while the other two kept him pinned to the ground.

"Cops like you should know their place!"

"What the hell were you doing following our boss?!"

"Die you filthy pig!" Ichigo writhed on the ground, trying to escape the assault. _Fuck! Get up! You have to get away!_

"That's enough, Yylfordt," Ichigo heard Grimmjow say. Ichigo looked out of the eye that wasn't covered in blood from the wound on his head and saw that he was now hovering above him with a sadistic smile on his face. He squatted beside him. "You have really got to learn how to follow people better. It seems like becoming a real cop has made you rusty." He punched him hard in the face, busting his lip. The ginger's head violently swung to the other side. "Why are you still after me you dumb fuck? You couldn't capture me as a bounty hunter and you damn sure can't capture me now. You should just give up." He clocked him again, this time on his other cheek. Ichigo growled.

"You coward! You're going to fight me while I'm being held down by your thugs? That's not how a man fights, you joke!"

"Such big talk for a maggot that's in my web!" Grimmjow punched him again causing Ichigo to yelp in agony. "If I were you, I wouldn't talk so much shit. You're outnumbered four to one. It would be five to one, but your pig friends decided to gun down my boy, Shawlong. As a matter of fact –" Grimmjow reached inside of his blood stained blazer and removed a 9mm handgun. Ichigo's eyes widened as he placed the barrel flush against his temple. " – I ought to blow your fucking head off right here and now as payback." Ichigo's breath hitched. He had never been in this position before and for the first time in his life, he felt true fear. Grimmjow was going to kill him right there in the middle of the street. He would never get to a chance to see his child. He was going to leave Rukia to grieve and render her a single mother. He closed his eyes as he waited for the bullet to tear through his head. _I'm so sorry Rukia . . . I hope you and our child will forgive me one day._

"But, I'm feeling quite generous today. Plus your pathetic display of manhood just disgusts me. You're not even worth my time." He removed the gun from his head. "Let him go." Yylfordt's eyes widened.

"B-But, Sir. He might cause trouble for us with Karakura police. Are you sure you want to let him go?"

"If KCPD was half the shit they claim to be, they would have captured us by now. The fact that we still roam free means that they ain't worth shit." He stood to his feet and turned on his heels. "Let's go." One would have thought that Grimmjow was the top in the Arrancar's hierarchy. The way he carried himself in his white, one hundred thousand yen Armani suit and his 50,000 yen Gucci dress shoes showed that he was a man of great power and high confidence. It was because of that power that the three brutes with him obeyed his orders and hurried back to the white SUV that Ichigo did not know had been following him since he left Karakura Village.

Clutching his head and trying to stop the bleeding, Ichigo stared in frustration and defeat as the criminals sped off in another direction. He groaned in pain as he struggled to his feet and stumbled to his car. Every attempt to catch Grimmjow so far had been a failure. He always expected for the Swiss native to kill him but every time, he let him live. It was as if he liked messing with his head.

Feeling woozy and in immense pain, Ichigo drove off into the early morning. Karakura General was too far and he damn sure did not want his father or Ryuken to see him like this. He only had one other place he could go where his wounds could be treated.

* * *

**A/N: Oh Ichigo you're so careless sometimes. I hope you guys enjoyed. I'll update sometime in the next two or three weeks. I'm going to try and focus on my other Bleach fic and some Inuyasha fics I've been neglecting. The next chapter will have a lemo,n so that'll be my gift to you guys for making you wait so long lol. Thanks for reading and I love reviews :D**


	3. Caught Out There

_**A/N: Thank you guys for the reviews and interest in the story so far! :)**_

_**Okay, I kind of want to explain my vision of Karakura City Police Department and the National Police Agency, which will appear in later chapters. In this story, KCPD is kind of a mix between local police and federal agents. Meaning that the low ranked officers will handle things like traffic duty, but the high ranking officers handle hard criminal investigations, kind of like America's FBI.**_

_**My version of the NPA is like a mix of America's FBI and CIA. So basically, this agency has higher seniority and wider jurisdiction than KCPD does.**_

_**Spanish translations in this chapter are at the end. This chapter is rated M for violence, profanity, alcohol use and smut :]**_

* * *

**Chapter Three: Caught Out There**

**Ichigo **

Orihime had been studying for her upcoming organic chemistry exam until 2 AM. She had only been asleep for two hours when someone banged on her front door. She was tempted not to answer, thinking that it could have been a pervert or just a random drunk. However, she reconsidered when she realized that it could have been her boyfriend of seven months, Uryu Ishida. He may have been injured on one of his bounty hunting commissions.

She groggily shuffled to open the door. She immediately awakened when a bloody and bruised police officer nearly fell inside.

"Ku-Kurosaki-kun!" she exclaimed, propping him up when he staggered inside of her Karakura Village apartment. "What happened to you?!" Ichigo looked at the upset eighteen year old and smiled feebly.

"Sorry to wake you, Orihime, but I could surely use your help." She didn't have a chance to answer before Ichigo collapsed to her kitchen floor.

-.-.-

When Ichigo came to, he lied face up on a very soft futon. He looked down to see he was currently only dressed in his boxers. Before he could panic, Ichigo remembered that he had come to Orihime's for treatment after the fight. Exhaling in relief, he looked a little to his left and saw the gorgeous woman with ginger tresses sitting beside him patiently. Her coffee eyes showed relief.

"You're finally awake," she softly said. "You've been out for a while." Ichigo put a hand to his forehead. He could feel the bandages.

"Have I? How long was I passed out?"

"About two hours now. You regained consciousness a little while earlier, but the pain pill I gave you quickly put you back to sleep." It was then that Ichigo noticed the aches from his injuries had dulled substantially. He further inspected his body and saw that Orihime had bandaged his arms, hands and his legs and thighs.

"Thank you very much, Orihime. I'm sorry that I came over so late. I hope I didn't disturb you and Uryu from . . . anything." He blushed softly. Orihime mimicked the expression.

"Oh! No! I was sleep. Uryu and I aren't . . . well, we aren't quite . . . umm . . . arrre . . . areyouhungry?! I haven't made anything yet but I have cereal and some bread that you might like." Ichigo shook his head as he stood to his feet. He began to redress.

"No thank you. I need to get going now. I'm sure Rukia must be worried since I didn't come home last night. The sun is already up."

"Please be careful. Try not to reopen the wound on your head. They got you pretty good there."

"I will. Thank you again, Orihime." Orihime watched from the doorway to make sure that he safely made it to his damaged Nissan. When he drove away, Orihime closed it and breathed deeply, feeling a little sad. It had almost been two years since Rukia and Ichigo became a couple. However, her crush on him had not faded in all that time. _Rukia's such a lucky girl._

**-.-.-.-.-**

"Baka! What a fucking idiot!"

"Rukia, calm yourself."

"I'm sorry, Nii-sama. I'm just . . . _so_ pissed right now."

"Come sit down. Worrying is not going to do anything. Sit here and try to wait patiently."

Rukia sighed, realizing her brother was right. She sat down beside him on the cushioned windowsill. Staring at the street below her building, she anxiously waited to see any sign of Ichigo. He hadn't come home all night and when she called the station, Momo told her that he had been off duty for hours. Nobody knew of his whereabouts nor could they reach his cell. She didn't want to tell her brother what was going on. She didn't want to further strain his already contentious relationship with Ichigo. Nevertheless when he came to retrieve the last of Hisana's things, he couldn't help but notice her agitated state. He had now been waiting with her for an hour.

"He's here!" Rukia jumped up upon seeing the ginger mane of her fiancé. Byakuya looked out of the window and saw his future brother-in-law walking up the stairs leading to the apartment building. Rukia marched to the door and impatiently waited for Ichigo to come inside. When he finally did, he was not prepared for the onslaught of angry emotions that were hurled his way.

"R – Rukia?"

"Where have you been, Ichigo?! I've been worried sick about you! Why didn't you come home last night?! Why didn't you answer my calls?! Where the hell were you?! Answer me dammit!"

"I will if you'd just give me a second to explain!" Ichigo defensively put his hands up as he eased into their new home. He immediately wanted to run back out the door when he saw that Rukia wasn't alone. _Greeeaaat. Byakuya's here too._

"Morning, Byakuya." Byakuya stood, but did not say anything. The way he felt toward the teenager right then, he believed it was best that he remained silent. He grabbed his officer's coat and hat and headed towards the door.

"Since you have returned, Kurosaki Ichigo, I will take my leave." He stopped when he was by the younger man. "I trust that this little incident will not be happening again." Ichigo bit down on his lip to not say anything. Another fight was the last thing he needed.

"Goodbye, Nii-Sama. Thank you for staying with me," Rukia sweetly said right before he closed the door. When she heard his feet fade, she continued her tirade. "I can't believe you! How can you stay out all night and not call?!"

"I didn't mean to, Rukia. On the way home, Grimmjow and his thugs beat me up outside of Kokuto's." Rukia had been so angry that she failed to notice the bandages covering his face and limbs. Her eyes softened. "I meant to call you but one of them made off with my cell and wallet."

"Why didn't you tell the hospital to call me? I would have come immediately if I had known that's what happened."

"I didn't go to the hospital. I wouldn't have made it there in time before I passed out. I went to Orihime's so she could treat me. But . . . I guess I could have told her to call you. I'm sorry I made you worry so much." Rukia stared at his guilty and sad face and felt her own wave of guilt shower her. She dropped her shoulders and exhaled.

"I'm sorry for getting so angry. I'm a cop too, so I should have known that something must have happened. I was just being irrational and stupid. It's these hormones, I swear." Ichigo smirked.

"Oh please. You always act like a raging lunatic. Don't blame our baby for your craziness." Rukia playfully punched him on the arm and Ichigo winced. She apologetically rubbed it. Ichigo sighed as he wrapped his arms around his love and pulled her close to him. It always seemed like their fights ended quicker than they began. As their lips met, every ounce of anger that they felt faded away.

* * *

**Shunsui**

It wasn't often that Shunsui and Lisa had an off day at the same time. Because of this, the two didn't go on dates often. While it didn't bother them too much because they weren't in an official or monogamous relationship, the two did like to spend time alone together.

That mid-January, Friday afternoon, Shunsui decided to tag along with Lisa as she went to The Book of the End bookstore in Karakura Village to pick up the latest installment of a popular erotic fiction series she was currently reading. Afterwards, the two got lunch and drinks at the café attached to the store. Lisa grinned widely as she read the synopsis of the story. "Oh this one is going to be gooood," she said before taking a sip of her latte. Shunsui chuckled as he took a sip of his coffee.

"I don't know why you pay 2,000 yen for these books when you can just watch porn over the internet for free. It's the same story over and over you know. This series is only worth reading because of the vivid sex scenes. Why not just watch the real deal?"

"Because reading porn lets my imagination wander farther. It's more of a fantasy for me." Shunsui nodded his head. He understood what she was saying, although he still believed that watching porn was more efficient and stimulating than reading it. Lisa moaned softly as she put the book down. It seemed as if her fantasies were already running wild. Shunsui lifted a brow.

"Do we need to end this date early and meet up for a little rendezvous? You seem a little hot and bothered my Lisa-chan." Lisa waved her hand and took another sip of her latte.

"Oh I'm fine. I'm always hot and bothered; I'm used to it by now." Shunsui lowered his police hat and chuckled. "So what have you been up to lately? How has that new position been treating you?"

"It's been . . . It's been a challenge, if I'm completely honest with you, Lisa-chan. I always knew that Yama-jii was a strong man if he was able to maintain that position after so many years. However, it's a whole different experience once you actually _become_ the Chief of Police."

"You have seemed extra stressed lately. I had a very hard time getting you to focus in bed the other night. Even the thing I do with my tongue didn't seem to work." A light shudder went through Shunsui when very pleasant flashbacks danced across his brain.

"A little more stress is natural when more responsibilities are loaded onto you, Lisa-chan. It isn't anything that I can't handle though." Lisa felt otherwise. Out of the many years she had known the man, who was sixteen years her senior, she had always known him to be a gentleman who loved to indulge in great drink at great volumes. However, his current consumption over the last few days had reached a level where there was cause for concern. He had doubled his current intake and Lisa had begun to worry.

"Do you talk to anybody about how you feel? I know that you don't open up much to me about these things." Shunsui chuckled as he took another sip of coffee.

"Oh my, Lisa-chan. How sweet of you to care so much."

"Stop joking around," she said seriously, lightly kicking him in the shin. Shunsui waved his hands in defeat.

"Alright, alright. You don't have to get violent."

"Well? Do you open up to anyone about your feelings?"

"I talked to Jushiro about it once, but that was it. You know me, Lisa-chan. I don't like to burden anyone with my problems."

"I think you should see a therapist." Shunsui's eyebrows rose and he almost choked on the coffee. Lisa noticed the change in demeanor. "I think therapy would be good for you. You can tell a complete stranger all of your deepest thoughts and emotions without fear of being judged. It might help ease that stress you've been feeling." He shook his head.

"I don't know. I've never really been a big fan of shrinks. I don't need someone to tell me how I feel. I'm sure I can figure that out on my own."

"Just give it a chance, Shunsui." Lisa pulled a pen out of her jeans pocket and grabbed a napkin on the table. She rapidly scribbled something on the napkin before sliding it across to her companion.

"Nanao Ise?"

"Yes. That's my first cousin. She's a very good and well educated therapist that works in Ryusei. I recommended her to Shinji for Momo. He told me that Momo has been more cheerful since she's started seeing her. Maybe she can help you out too." Shunsui grinned as he put the napkin inside of his pants pocket. He had no intention of seeing a therapist, but he decided to promise Lisa he would consider it to appease her worries.

"Alright, I _might_ give her a call. I just hope she's as pretty as you, Lisa-chan."

"There you go again with the bullshit," the green eyed beauty said, rolling them as she finished up the latte. When she licked the foam off her lips, her thoughts turned from therapy and back to the erotic novel. As she looked at the man sitting across from her, she began to feel an urge to add her own chapter to the anthology. "You still up for a mid-day fuck?" she asked, her voice low and playful. Shunsui mimicked the heated look in her eyes. The seductive way she licked the foam off her lips stirred something in him as well.

"My place or yours?"

* * *

**Jushiro **

His second in command, Sentaro Kotsubaki, had already arrived at the crime scene in the Ryusei neighborhood by the time Jushiro pulled up. Sentaro and another one of Station Thirteen's subordinates were busy securing the area with yellow caution tape. Jushiro paused and sighed deeply before stepping out of his car. He had to prepare himself for the grisly scene that he was about to witness. From the details that had been given from the emergency operator, it did not appear that this investigation would be pleasant.

"Captain! You're here!" Sentaro enthusiastically greeted the lanky man as he approached the entrance of the tiny, ground-floor apartment.

"Where is the body, Sentaro?" he asked, trying to deter the man's fervor. Sentaro lowered his head.

"The victim is still in her bed. Poor girl. Whoever did this to her is an absolute monster." Jushiro tensed. No matter how much carnage he had seen throughout his twenty year career, his job never got any easier.

He carefully stepped under the yellow tape, walking carefully behind Sentaro as he led him to the victim's bedroom. He made sure to watch every single step and to not touch anything to avoid destroying evidence. When the two men entered the bedroom, Jushiro's eyes broadened. It was worse than he imagined.

A crime scene investigator looked up from his current task of placing strands of hair in a plastic bag and looked at the horrified man. He shook his head, agreeing with the sentiments.

"Makes you question humanity sometimes, huh? The people who did this made off with several of her internal organs." He pointed to the two massive lacerations in her abdominopelvic cavity. "They clearly made off with her kidneys and possibly her liver. The opening in her chest suggests that they got her lungs and her heart as well. But the strange part about the incisions is that the cuts are very clean. It's as if whoever did this was a licensed surgeon. It's mind boggling, actually."

"Akon, what time do you suspect that this girl was murdered?" Jushiro asked, his throat cracking from dryness. He tried his best to avoid looking at the mutilated body. Akon shrugged.

"Judging from the blood's color and aridness, I'd guess maybe a couple of hours? I will know for sure as soon as we run a test."

"Have you been able to find any evidence?" Akon held up the clear, plastic bag containing strands of long, dark hair.

"Right here, Sir."

"How soon can I get the results for the DNA scan?"

"Hn . . . considering Doctor Kurotsuchi's upgrades in the lab, I should have it to you in two days."

"Good, because we have no more time to waste. I already know that the Vandenreich is behind this girl's death. Now all I need to know are their identities and we can start taking these bastards down." Jushiro turned to his interim lieutenant. "Sentaro, make sure that the area surrounding the apartment is clear from all traffic. There could possibly be evidence everywhere and we do not want it to get destroyed. Also, try and see if you can reach her closest of kin. If you need help with anything, please call down to the station and I will send someone right over."

"Yes, Captain." Jushiro nodded. He hated to leave his duties to others, even though he knew that his subordinates were more than capable of handling situations as grim as this one. He just wanted to be more useful. Yet, he had to admit that the semi-vacation was needed. Being limited to administrative work may have been boring to some, but Jushiro was relieved. He didn't need any stress on his body if his surgery the following week was going to be successful.

**-.-.-.-**

Toshiro and Lilynette had been a couple for almost a week. The Mashiba High School students thought that they were an odd pair. Because they were such different people, many wondered how their relationship worked. Toshiro was a model student while Lilynette was more rebellious. Perhaps the one person who understood the least was Karin Kurosaki. Before they even became a couple, Karin didn't hide the fact that she greatly disapproved of Lilynette. This disapproval caused a rift in her friendship with Toshiro, which had only gotten larger over the last few weeks.

It was now late afternoon and the young couple was hanging out behind Mashiba's stadium bleachers with Lilynette's two friends: Moe Shishigawara, a senior from Miyashita High School and Wonderweiss, a transfer student from Columbia.

"Hey Lilynette, did you get some of that good stuff from your brother?" Shishigawara asked as he texted on his cell. Lilynette smirked as she went inside of her backpack. The boy's eyes lit up as she dangled a small Zip-Loc bag of marijuana in front of him.

"Of course I got it. Who do you think I am?"

"You're my new best friend." Toshiro's eyes also lit up, but for a different reason.

"Is . . . Is that weed?" Lilynette blankly stared at him.

"Yeah, it's Arizona Kush." Toshiro marveled at the way she said it; like it was as common as candy or bubble gum. Shishigawara's eyes lit up even more.

"Arizona Kush?! Damn, this really is my lucky day. Roll it up, Lilynette." Toshiro nervously stared at the bag of the light green marijuana. A light coat of sweat dampened his palms.

"Wait! Should . . . should you really be doing this? I mean . . . what if we get into trouble?" Shishigawara scoffed.

"Don't be a pussy, Hitsugaya. It's just one little bag of weed. It's harmless. We won't even get caught."

"El Papa de tu novio es detective de la Ciudad de Karakura, ¿verdad? ¿Dirá su papa?" Lilynette shook her head.

"Él no es pendejo. Es bueno." Toshiro bounced his eyes between Wonderweiss and Lilynette. He hated it when she talked in her native language because he didn't understand. However, he knew that she had no choice but to speak it when it came to that weird kid, Wonderweiss. He did not speak any Japanese and knew very little English. The only people he could effectively communicate with in the entire school were Lilynette and the Spanish teachers.

Whatever she told him seemed to put Wonderweiss at ease. He backed away from Toshiro and slid closer to Lilynette. The white haired teen looked all around him as Lilynette rolled the first blunt. Noticing his unease, she giggled.

"Baby, nobody's gonna catch us, don't worry." Her reassurance did little to ease his nerves. Toshiro had never _ever_ once gotten into major trouble throughout his entire school career and he didn't want to start. Lilynette was not afraid of danger. That was one of the reasons why he was attracted to her. Still, he sometimes felt that her lust for risk was borderline idiotic.

Lilynette beamed as she took the first hit of the blunt. Moe shivered when he took the second and Wonderweiss's eyes rolled to the back of his head when he took the third. When it was Lilynette's turn again, she handed it to her boyfriend. Toshiro immediately shook his head.

"No."

"Aww, come on."

"_Hell._ No."

"Just take one puff. Please? For me? It's my birthday tomorrow." He still felt uncomfortable just being around the drug, but he hated to say no to the girl on her sixteenth birthday; even if it was the following day. He took the blunt from her hand and put it to his lips. He gave his surroundings another good look over before he inhaled. Toshiro immediately choked on the smoke. Lilynette grinned as she patted him on his back.

"Wha . . . what the . . . what the hell?!"

"Easy, easy. Don't hit it so hard. You have to inhale it slowly. Arizona Kush is kind of strong and you need to take it slow. Especially since this is your first time." Toshiro stared at the blunt, hesitant to take another hit. However at the same time, he didn't want to look like a wimp. He slowly brought the marijuana back to his lips and inhaled it slowly like Lilynette instructed. The second time was more enjoyable. The smoke tasted better than it smelled. Lilynette grinned as she took the blunt away from him and inhaled, starting the second round.

Before the bag was empty, Toshiro texted his uncle and lied saying that he would be spending the night at Isshin Kurosaki's. Jushiro felt no reason to question this as Toshiro had often spent the night over there in the past. He figured that he and Karin had patched things up. He also knew that nothing inappropriate would happen since Isshin was, more or less, a responsible adult.

After getting his uncle's approval, Toshiro giggled uncontrollably as he started to walk to the subway, on his way to spend the night at Lilynette's.

* * *

**Byakuya**

Almost everyone agreed that Byakuya's new, large home in the prestigious Reiokyu neighborhood was beautiful. The interior put the outside to shame with its gorgeous layout and exquisite decor. The crowd for his housewarming was modest. About thirty or more guests were currently inside of the grand foyer and on the patio in the backyard. Most of the guests were his fellow agents. Others were people he knew through Hisana, Rukia and from his educational years.

Shunsui tried to downplay his portion of the celebration, not wanting to take away the spotlight. All hope of that was lost when Byakuya made a toast in his honor. Anyone who didn't know of his promotion beforehand found out. However, people were more distracted by the large estate than him, much to his pleasure.

While Byakuya's parties may not have been the wildest, they were always very sophisticated and a hot place to be. His parties also were a sanctuary for fashion enthusiasts as everyone always came dressed to kill. Byakuya was especially well dressed in a sleek, well-tailored, cobalt blue dress shirt and sharp black suit pants by Michael Kors. His black, Italian leather shoes were by Versace. Anyone who didn't know him would never guess that he was an agent of the highly acclaimed Karakura police force. He carried himself more like a businessman.

As the handsome, gray eyed man conversed with some of his fellow captains, he noticed that a very special guest had arrived: his grandfather. It was the first time in several months that he had seen him in person. Excusing himself from the captains, Byakuya made his way through the people over to the man whom he deeply respected. As he walked, he picked up two wine glasses from one of the server's trays.

"My, my, Byakuya. This is one nice house." Byakuya nodded as he gave his grandfather one of the glasses.

"I'm glad you approve, Jii-sama. I'm happy you were able to make it tonight. It's been quite a while since I've last seen you."

"Oh, you know how it is, my boy. I've been busy traveling and trying to get acquainted with the different world leaders."

"Yes, I saw on the news the other day that you had dinner with President Obama and his wife."

"I did. It was a success if I do say so myself. I'm practically already Minister of Justice, but I don't quite want to get ahead of myself too much just yet. The Prime Minister has yet to make a decision." Byakuya nodded, understanding. "Speaking of political office, have you given any thought about running?" Ginrei asked his grandson as he swirled the wine around in his glass.

"I have, Jii-sama. However, it's still just a thought at the moment."

"You need to make a decision soon, my boy. The deadline for candidacy is drawing near. Political office is an excellent way to serve your fellow man. Even more so than what you're doing now. Besides, I didn't spend all that money sending you to that elitist school for nothing."

"I greatly appreciate you paying for my Hosei education."

"Then show your appreciation by succeeding me as Chief Prosecutor. It would make me so proud. I'm sure your father would delight in seeing it as well." Byakuya agreed with the sentiment. He felt that if he did succeed in taking over his grandfather's current position as Chief Prosecutor, it would be bitter sweet. His father always wanted to follow Ginrei in that position but was not able to because of his poor health. Byakuya would definitely honor his father's memory if he did become the kensatsu-kan.

Even though he was not a practicing attorney, Byakuya was very skilled and knowledgeable in Japanese law. He was so profound that he could have easily started a powerhouse law firm. However, his love of his job as an agent was so strong that he couldn't leave his work. He had been debating running because of this.

"However, if you do decide to run, we're going to have to work on your image," Ginrei casually said. It was almost as if he had been thinking out loud. Byakuya quirked a brow.

"Image?"

"This house is beautiful but the one thing that I don't see is a loving wife. We need to get you married, my boy." Byakuya smirked before taking a sip of the merlot.

"It would appear that you and Rukia have been talking. She has recently been inquiring about my romantic life."

"She's a wise girl. She also sees that it's time for you to start moving on. It's admirable that you have resisted a woman's charm for this long but if you keep on much longer, you'll make Shaolin monks look like whores."

"Jii-sama, while it may be time that I consider dating again . . . I simply have no idea where to start." Ginrei motioned his head toward a petite brunette standing off in a corner of the room talking to Kenpachi Zaraki.

"What about Sui Feng?" he suggested. A small smile tugged at the corner of Byakuya's lips.

"I'm not quite sure that I'm her . . . _type_, Jii-sama." Ginrei tilted his head in confusion.

"I'm not sure why you're not. You come from a very wealthy and prestigious family and her family is very honorable and respected people. Her grandparents were top defense ministers in the Prime Minister's cabinet. Why wouldn't she like you?" Byakuya pressed his lips together. His grandfather completely missed his point. It wasn't his personality that gave Byakuya doubts, it was his . . . _equipment_ that made him question her interest. He distinctly remembered her having an enormous crush on Yoruichi when they were younger and the dark skinned beauty was still in Japan.

"I'm still not convinced."

"You haven't even attempted to ask her out on a date. It couldn't hurt to try." _It could definitely hurt my ego. _Ginrei chuckled. "I mean if you'd like, I could always _arrange_ a marriage for you. You know, old school style." Byakuya was not amused by the elder's joke.

"That won't be necessary. Excuse me for a moment, Jii-sama." Byakuya quickly downed the rest of the wine before grabbing another flute from a tray. Kenpachi had since left Sui Feng and the party so the woman was now standing all alone. Byakuya used this opportunity to test the waters. As he approached her, Sui Feng greeted the debonair man with a welcoming smile.

"This is an excellent party, Captain Kuchiki," she said through white teeth. Byakuya nodded, drinking the alcohol to calm his nerves. _I can't believe I'm carrying on like this. Why do you have to be nervous?_

"Thank you, Captain. I'm happy that you are enjoying yourself."

"I am. Everything is just wonderful. I especially love this merlot. It's some of the best I've tasted in a while."

"Oh? You wouldn't happen to be a wine enthusiast would you?"

"I like to go tasting in my free time, but I wouldn't call myself a professional enthusiast." Byakuya nodded. _Here's your opening._

"Perhaps you would like to go tasting with me sometime? I try to go at least once a month. I have plans to go sometime next week." Sui Feng smirked.

"Captain Kuchiki, are you asking me out on a date?"

"Perhaps, if that's where it leads. Right now, I consider it to be just an outing among colleagues." He lied to himself to maintain composure. Sui Feng smiled.

"I'm flattered. I'd love to go tasting with you."

"Excellent. I'll call you with the details soon, yes?"

"Can't wait." Byakuya gave a quick nod and excused himself as he continued to mingle with the guests. As he walked away, the widower felt a sense of pride and satisfaction. It was a relief to know that he had not lost his charm after five years of marriage and five years of being a widower. He felt so good at that moment, that he _almost_ smiled.

* * *

**Renji**

It appeared that Izuru and Renji were wrong in their previous assumption about Shuhei and Rangiku's relationship. Almost a week had passed since the fight and the busty blonde still had not let her on-again-off-again boyfriend of two years back inside of her home. Perhaps this time she really was serious about the split.

Renji hoped for Shuhei's sake, and for everyone's sake, that she took him back soon. He had been depressed since then and had started crashing at Renji, Izuru and Momo's Sabitsura apartment. He didn't really impose on the three roommates since he used to be their fourth, but his depressed vibes just added to Renji's agony. He already had Momo and Izuru to deal with and Shuhei just made things worse.

He had hoped that treating the man to drinks after his captain's party would lighten his mood. He and Izuru took Shuhei to the popular Nejibana dance club in the Sabitsura neighborhood. Although Renji wasn't really fond of the techno and pop music the club was known for, he knew that it was one of Shuhei's favorite spots. What he didn't know was that it was also the place where he met Rangiku.

"Ran-chan used to dance over there by DJ Kon," he bemoaned as he sipped on the super potent Kazeshini brand sake. It was his fourth shot. Renji mentally kicked himself for forgetting that Shuhei was a sad drunk. Izuru groaned, taking a sip of Nejibana's famous Wabisuke drink.; his fifth.

"Just give it up, Shuhei. Matsumoto is still in love with Captain Ichimaru; the lying, traitorous BASATRD!" Izuru was a varied drunk. This time, he was angry. The tall male with the rosy tresses sat dumbfounded at how the two could lament on their problems when the club was so lively and fun.

He rolled his eyes and turned on his stool to look out at the dance floor. Nejibana was filled with beautiful and sexy women. He enjoyed the show as several females danced seductively to the sexy groove of the song that was now playing. However, there was one particular woman that caught his eye. Long raven hair and dark pink eyes drew his attention from way across the room. Her revealing, white dress clung to her in a most appealing way. Renji unconsciously licked his lips before taking another sip of his third Kazeshini.

It was almost as if the woman could sense his interest in her. As the song began to end, she looked over toward the bar and made direct eye contact with him. She smiled seductively to which Renji replied with a nod. Maintaining eye contact with him, she leaned over and whispered something to her friend. The blonde girl with her turned her green eyes to the man and smiled as well. The two exchanged words once more before they started to walk toward his direction.

"Looks like we're about to have company," Renji smirked, taking another sip of the potent liquor. He was a horny drunk.

"What?" Izuru said as he lifted his head and turned around, interested to see what captured Renji's attention so much. As soon as he did, he saw a fair hand land on his shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. Another hand landed on Renji's.

"Well hello there, boys," the blonde said, her voice seductive and inviting. "We saw you sitting here all alone and we decided to give you some company."

"I hope we're not bothering you," the brunette said, looking Renji directly in the eyes.

"Hell no," was the red head's automatic response. Both women chuckled as they each took a seat by their current interests.

"My name is Menoly and this is my sister, Loly."

"We just had to come over and say hello to you guys." Renji smirked, imagining all of the possibilities with Loly in his head. She looked like she was fun and . . . _flexible_.

"I'm glad you did. I'm Renji, he's Izuru and this sad fucker here is Shuhei."

"Don't mind him. He's not in the best of moods tonight." The women felt that the comment was understated as Shuhei now laid face down on the bar, passed out in his own tears.

"Awww. I hope your friend feels better," Menoly said in all earnestly.

"Yea, I do too," Renji said, mostly to himself, as he took another sip of his drink. "What are you ladies drinking tonight? First round is on me."

"I'll have whatever you're having, handsome," Loly smiled. Menoly nodded in agreement. Renji smirked at the sexy brunette before ordering another bottle of Kazeshini.

After he had gotten both women inebriated, the night took an interesting turn. While Menoly and Izuru were now engaged in a heated, but friendly, discussion about NBA teams, Loly had found her way into Renji's lap and the two were feverishly making out at the bar. Neither cared who was watching as they could feel eyes on them from time to time. They fed on each other's lust so much that they could easily go to one of the back rooms to satisfy their desires. Loly was tempted to drag him back there when he shamelessly reached under her skirt and fondled her rear. However, Renji suggested that they go back to his place where he could focus all of his energy on her and not worry about disturbances. After talking to the bartender and calling Momo to make sure that Izuru and Shuhei got home safely, Renji and Loly quickly exited the club.

Renji was barely able to get his key into the lock as he fumbled at the door, his lips tightly latched against the brunette's. She stumbled a little as he pushed her with his body through the doorway but a tight grip on her back stopped her fall. A long moan escaped her lips when the red head tightly grabbed her rear and gave it a good squeeze. At the same time, his other hand found its way to her right breast. Loly could feel herself becoming wetter as she felt his length pressed against her thigh. She grinded against him and snaked her arms behind his back. Renji didn't hesitate one bit as the girl desperately pulled his shirt over his head, revealing a sexy, olive toned physique decorated in black tribal tattoos.

Renji licked his lips as he stared down at her hungrily. Those intense brown eyes glazed over with pure carnality; a lust that Loly was more than ready to satisfy. Renji tightly grabbed her on the wrist. "Come on," was all he said as he led her out of his living room and down the hall to his bedroom that held a strong scent of vanilla and Old Spice.

Loly rode him just the way he liked it: hard and fast. She moaned as he reached up and cupped her breasts as they bounced with each thrust. She threw her head back in ecstasy as he rubbed the pads of his thumbs over the sensitive nipples. Renji groaned deeply as he met her thrust for thrust, bucking his hips each time Loly lowered herself on his member. He moved his hands from her breasts and tightly wrapped his arms around her waist. Forcing her to come down to meet his lips, Renji reclaimed hers in a possessing kiss. She let out a long, guttural moan as she kissed him when he began to pump relentlessly inside of her. It wasn't long before she closed around him, screaming her release. Moments later, Renji followed. Tremors shook thorough him as he came down from the intense orgasm. Loly rolled off and flopped down beside him, staring at the ceiling, completely exhausted.

"Damn, Renji." Renji smirked, still panting. He always loved seeing a woman get as much pleasure as he did. He wasn't a selfish lover. He always gave as good as he got, sometimes even better. He never had to ask if his partner was satisfied. They always told him the answer on their own.

Loly leaned over and kissed him passionately, lightly biting his bottom lip. She wanted to just lie down beside him and drift off to sleep. However, she knew her duties wouldn't allow her to.

The petite woman climbed out of bed and picked her discarded undergarments off of the floor. Renji noticed how shaky her legs were as she steadied herself. He smirked again, feeling pride in his work.

"That'll be 20,000 yen. If you don't have it now, I can bill you later." Loly said as she put on her underwear. Renji chuckled as he watched the girl redress.

"Very funny." Loly stopped clasping her bra and stared at him with serious eyes. Renji's laugh faded upon seeing these eyes. He furrowed his brow. "You're not joking are you?"

"Not at all." She extended her hand. "Now pay up." Renji's eyes narrowed as he jumped out of bed.

"What? Are you kidding me? I'm not paying for sex. I had no idea you were a prostitute!"

"Are you really that dumb? I told you at the club I was an escort!" Renji honestly could not remember her telling him that. He must have been either really drunk or really horny at the time. "I'm a professional escort who doesn't give free samples. So pay what you owe." Renji looked at her as if to say 'you-have-lost-your-mind'. He shook his head adamantly as he put on a pair of gray sweats to cover his indecency.

"You need to leave, right now." Now it was Loly's turn to give him the look. She scoffed and flipped her hair over her shoulder. She sat down on his bed and crossed her arms defiantly.

"I'm not going anywhere until you pay me 20,000 yen."

"I'm not paying you a cent. Get out of my apartment."

"You must can't afford it, can you? This piece of shit place. I've been with men who have closets bigger than your bedroom!"

"Then you need to sell yourself out to them. I'll give you money for a cab but that's it. I'm certainly not paying you for sex." Renji bent over and picked up her dress and shoes off the beige, carpeted floor. He set them in her lap. Loly pushed them to the side and continued to stare at him, her anger rising by the minute.

"I want my money, Renji!"

"How many times do I have to tell you that I am not paying?! You should have collected _before_ you spread your legs for me. That's what any _smart_ prostitute would do."

"I was drunk and caught up in the moment."

"I still fail to see why that would make me pay you."

"Dammit, you cheap bastard. Give me my money!" Renji shook his head and walked over to his discarded pants from earlier. He was frustrated and exhausted. He wanted to just crawl back in bed and dream away the rest of the night. He simply didn't have time for this. He pulled out his wallet and stood in front of the girl again. Loly smirked as he pulled out a few bills but the smile faded when she saw the amount.

"2,000 yen?"

"That should be enough to cover your cab fare."

"I live way across town in Hokutan, you idiot! Where is the rest?!" Renji had also pulled out his badge. Loly's heart dropped to her feet as she stared at the gold that seemed to be mocking her.

"The rest is at Karakura City's Station Six if you continue trying to extort _illegal_ money from me. If you know what's best for you, you will leave my apartment _now_." Loly knew all too well when she had been defeated.

She snatched the money from him and put it in her bra. She wasted no time redressing in her profession's work uniform. She let out a string of swears as Renji kindly walked out of the door and to the elevator. When she stepped inside, he gave her a warm smile.

"I had a nice time tonight, Loly. Let's do it again sometime." He laughed as the doors immediately shut before she had a chance to reply. Feeling satisfied and relaxed after a much needed coital interaction, Renji sprawled across his bed and buried his face in the pillow, falling asleep within a matter of minutes.

Perhaps he should have remained awake for a little while longer. Perhaps it would have been a better idea to walk Loly outside instead of just to the elevator. Perhaps he needed to be more aware of the woman he was dealing with before he decided to sleep with her. If he had been more attune to these things, perhaps the red head could have prevented the silver key's connection with his prized, red Toyota truck. The deep scratches that now covered it meant that he would pay after all.

* * *

_**A/N: Renji being a cop with a hooker tho lol. I hoped you guys liked it. I know these chapters are long but I guess 5 different story lines will make it that way. **_

_**Thank you for reading and reviews are always appreciated :]**_

_**Translations:**_

_**Wonderweiss: "El Papa de tu novio es detective de la Ciudad de Karakura, ¿verdad? ¿Dirá su papa?" (Your boyfriend's dad is a Karakura City detective, right? Will he tell his dad?)**_

_**Lilynette: "Él no es pendejo. Es bueno." (He's not stupid. It's good.)**_


	4. Searching

_A/N: Thank you to my reviewers so far. I appreciate you all :)_

_ Deuces: some of the initial parings may not be the ending parings *wink wink* lol_

_Hmm, I might be slow to update this story after this chapter. I think I will focus on my more popular stories since it doesn't seem like too many people are interested in this one. Hey, I like it tho lol. _

_Onward to this chapter which contains Violence, Alcohol, Foul Language and Sex _

* * *

**Chapter Four: Searching**

**Renji **

Renji thought he would have felt much better when he awoke the next morning. His muscles were relaxed from the sex, but his stomach was turning and his head pounded. It seemed as if the shots of Kazeshini had finally caught up with him. As he lied there contemplating whether or not he wanted to make breakfast and take an Aspirin, a very sweet smell permeated his room, overtaking its usual scent. Swinging his legs over, the twenty two year old man left his bed and put on his gray sweatpants to cover his ample package.

He walked down the hall and into the kitchen where he found Momo making breakfast. Dressed in a white t-shirt and short, pink shorts, the girl happily smiled at her roommate.

"Good morning, Renji," she said when he took a seat at the island. She smirked as he wobbled a bit. "Are you hung-over?" Renji groaned as he adjusted to the room's fluorescent lighting. The rattling of cookware agitated him.

"Yeah, I am." He watched her as she skillfully moved around in the kitchen. "Something smells nice." She looked over her shoulder and smiled.

"I'm making peach waffles. You want some?"

"Sure, thanks. It might help this hangover for sure." Momo chuckled and shook her head. She set a plate of waffles in front of him.

"You guys are ridiculous with your drinking. Shuhei and Izuru are still in their rooms passed out." Renji smirked as he poured syrup over his breakfast.

"Yeah they did shots of Kazeshini. Those guys were wasted when I left. That's why I called you to see if you could pick them up after your shift."

"Yeah you had me do your dirty work because you wanted to be a little slut last night."

"I can't help it if I'm hot."

"Oh, whatever. But speaking of last night, what happened to your truck?" Renji's eyebrows rose as he chewed the delicious waffles.

"What do you mean?"

"When I left this morning to get groceries, it had scratches all over the right side. Did you scrape something on your way home?"

"Nooo?"

"Oh. We'll whatever happened, it looks bad." His face still holding confusion, Renji quickly chewed the bite of peach waffles and set his fork down. He got up from the island and jogged to his room to put on snow boots and a sweater. When he came back, he brought one of his coats for Momo.

"Come show me what you're talking about," he said before opening the door. Momo quickly buttoned up the dark, wool trench coat and led the tall man out the door.

"See? That's what I was talking about," Momo said pointing as she and Renji walked up to his apple colored truck. His eyes widened and a large gasp escaped him.

"What the hell?! Somebody keyed my fucking car!" He rushed over to feel the long and deep scratches on the passenger's side. Momo's eyes widened as well.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes! These are definitely from a key. Man, what the fuck! I bet it was that fucking prostitute who did this!"

"Prostitute?"

"The girl from last night was a hooker. I can't _believe_ this!" Momo's mouth dropped.

"Renji! You had sex with a hooker?!"

"I didn't _know_ that she was a hooker at the time. I didn't find out until afterwards. She got mad when I didn't pay her so I guess she went after my car. Man what a – _ugggh_!" Renji angrily turned and quickly walked back to the apartment with Momo jogging to catch up with him.

A slew of vulgar language left the red head when they were back in the heat. He angrily kicked off his boots and yanked his sweater over his head as he walked down the hall to take a shower. As Momo sat in the kitchen listening to him swear, she couldn't help but be amused.

"That's what he gets for acting like a whore," she chuckled to herself before taking a bite of her breakfast.

-.-.-

Renji's day seemed to get worse as the minutes ticked away. The lead mechanic at KC Wheels, Kukaku Shiba, teased him relentlessly when he told her what happened. While he didn't mind the teasing so much, what she said next upset him. She told him that the scratches were so deep that she wouldn't be able to fix them for a reasonable price considering her skill. She would have to charge him double. However, she did give him the name of a mechanic in the nearby Naruki City that would charge him less. As he drove through the busy traffic, he hoped that what Kukaku told him was true.

The lead mechanic at NC Wheels whistled loudly when he saw the truck. Renji shook his head, agreeing with the sentiments.

"Boy, somebody must _hate _you." the mechanic joked as he wiped his oily hands on a towel. The cigarette in his mouth bobbed up and down as he talked. "Ex-girlfriend?"

"Yeah, something like that. Um, Kukaku Shiba sent me here. She told me to ask for somebody named . . . _'Dirty Boots'_?" The mechanic took the cigarette out and ashed.

"D.B. huh? These scratches must be deep if she sent you here." He looked over his shoulder and put a hand to his mouth. "Oi! D.B.! You got a customer!"

"Hold on, hold on. I'll be out in a sec." Renji froze upon hearing the voice. _That voice. I know that voice_. His suspicions were confirmed when 'Dirty Boots' came out of the garage. Mimicking his feelings, her eyes widened when she laid eyes on the tall man.

"What in the hell?" she thought out loud. The lead mechanic's eyes bounced between them.

"You two know each other or something?" Shaking out of her trance, the woman shook her head.

"No . . . I was – I was talking about the car."

"I know right. His girl got him _real_ good." He walked over to the woman and laid a hand on her shoulder. He gave Renji a reassuring smile. "But don't worry. You're in good hands. If there is anyone in the world that can fix _that_, it's Jackie."

Renji and Jackie continued to stare at one another in silence after the man's footsteps had long faded. Coffee and hazel eyes clashed in a silent war. Jackie was the first one to break contact. She wiped her oily hands on her navy jumpsuit, which Renji had to admit flattered her curves. She walked over to get a good look at his truck.

"Wow, these really _are_ deep. I'm not surprised someone would want to key your truck." Renji rolled his eyes.

"That wouldn't be bitterness talking, would it?"

"No. You're a cop so naturally you must have enemies. Am I wrong?" He bit his bottom lip, hating to admit that she was right. Jackie took his silence as affirmation anyways. She rubbed her fingers over the truck's wounds. "Give me a day. I should have it back in good condition by then."

"How much is this going to cost me?"

"Hn. About 9,000 is a rough estimate. Renji grimaced upon hearing the price.

"9,000 yen, huh? And you're _sure _I'll be satisfied with the results." Jackie stood again and scoffed.

"You don't think I can fix it can you?" Renji gave her a "wtf" look.

"I didn't say that. What are you talking about?"

"You're making it sound like I don't know what I'm doing. I can fix a 2004 just fine, thank you. I'm a damn good mechanic."

"I – I never said you weren't. Chill out." Jackie sighed and held out her hand, putting the other on her hip.

Renji quickly dropped the keys in her palm, his chocolate eyes still warring with her hazels.

"Come back this time tomorrow. It'll be ready." She quickly turned on her heels and sashayed back to the garage. Renji couldn't help but notice how good her plump rear looked in the jumpsuit.

He walked out of the parking lot and down the sidewalk. He didn't plan on spending his day in Naruki City. However, since he had the day off, he thought he should check out the scene.

* * *

**Jushiro **

Diligently working at his desk in Station Thirteen, Jushiro tried his best to square things away for Sentaro before his surgery the following week. Finishing up his last bit of paper work, he was about to call it a day. That is, he was until his phone rang. Sighing from exhaustion, he reluctantly answered.

"Ukitake-taicho," he greeted, the wear and tear of the day clear in his voice.

"Ukitake-taicho, hello. This is Akon. I'm calling you about the results from the DNA scan at the crime scene from the other day." Jushiro perked up upon hearing this news.

"Oh hello, Akon," he said, sitting up and leaning forward as he listened intently to the next words that were about to come out of the man's mouth.

"It turns out that the DNA found at the scene did belong to a member of the Vandenreich. They were from a guy by the name of As Nodt."

"As Nodt?"

"Yes, Sir. We are 99.9% sure it was his DNA."

"Alright, I will issue a warrant out for his arrest before I leave today. Thank you, Akon." Jushiro smiled as he hung up the black phone. Happy that the suspect had been identified so quickly, he felt optimistic about the chances of catching him. If they could manage to arrest As Nodt before he went into surgery, it would be the icing on the cake.

Reclining back in his black, swivel chair, he took a moment to bask in the good news. However the jubilant feeling was quickly interrupted by another call, this time on his cell. Jushiro rarely took personal calls while on duty, however when he looked at the screen, he saw that it was Toshiro's after school tutor. _Hmm, I wonder why she's calling_.

"Hello, Ochi-san," he greeted in a warm and friendly tone. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Hello, Ukitake-san. I'm sorry to bother you while you're at work; however I was calling to see if Toshiro was going to be able to make it to our session today." The white haired captain scrunched his nose.

"Toshiro was supposed to be dropped off earlier by Isshin Kurosaki. He, Karin and Yuzu were supposed to come together."

"The Kurosaki twins are here but Toshiro did not accompany them. As of matter of fact, he has been absent for the last few days. I was calling to make sure that everything was all right with him." Furrowing his eyebrows, Jushiro stared down at his desk confused. Was Toshiro really skipping his tutoring sessions? That wasn't like him.

"Everything is fine, Ochi-san," he lied, faking a smile to hide his confusion. "I will make sure that he is prompt for the next session. Thank you for calling me." Jushiro immediately dialed Isshin after ending his conversation with the teacher. It only rang once before Isshin's cheery voice filled the line.

"Jushirooo! Hey friend, how are you?! How ya feelin'?"

"I'm fine, Isshin. Thank you. Listen, I have a question. Did Toshiro ride with you and the girls to the tutoring lessons at Karakura High?"

"Nope, can't say that he did. Come to think of it, I haven't seen my little Shiro in a while."

"By a 'while', how much time do you mean?"

"Hmm . . . well the last time I saw him was when he helped Karin with her history project. That had to have been like two weeks ago." A surge of anger went through Jushiro at that moment. Toshiro had _just_ told him _last night_ that he was going out to study with Karin. The teenager had been lying to him the whole while. Gripping his phone tightly, Jushiro thanked Isshin before hitting the red button.

The normally friendly captain barely said a word to anyone as he left his job for the day. As he stared angrily at the road in front of him, he wandered what his nephew and that new girl of his had been up to lately.

* * *

**Byakuya**

This had not been the way he planned to start his Sunday. Byakuya absolutely hated being called to this particular type of crime scene. He loathed it. He would much rather investigate a homicide, as morbid as it sounded.

"Please, take this Kleenex," Renji said softly as he handed the bruise covered girl in front of them a tissue to dry her eyes. The girl thanked Renji with a nod and wiped the tears that streamed her face.

"Now, could you please tell us what happened?" Byakuya asked, his voice calm and smooth. He didn't want to further upset her. She sighed deeply and eyed her lap.

"He . . . he came into the bedroom and . . . pushed me down on the bed," her voice cracked as she spoke of the horrors of what occurred earlier in the Inuzuri apartment. "He forced my legs apart and told me 'if I screamed, he'd kill them'."

"Your brothers?"

"Yes. So . . . I begged him not to do it but his partner told him that 'they had to kill them or else the boss would be angry'. He told his partner he would help after he got done with me. And then . . . and then . . . he –" She began to sob again. Renji softly rubbed her shoulder.

"That is okay, Ms. You don't have to tell us anymore, we can figure the rest for now."

"You haven't showered have you?" Byakuya bluntly asked, ignoring Renji's promise to end the questions. She shook her head.

"No, but I want to really badly."

"You must not. Do not shower until you've been examined. We have a better chance of catching the assailants if we have more DNA." She choked back tears but nodded.

"O – Okay," she managed to say in between sobs. Byakuya turned.

"If you would excuse us." Renji gave the woman another pat before following his captain out of the bedroom and the apartment. Exiting under the yellow tape, the two high ranking agents walked outside onto the lawn where lower officers were loading two deceased bodies in the back of corner trucks. Renji shook his head as he watched one of the truck's doors close.

"Captain, who do you think could have done this?"

"From the young lady's testimony, it seems that it was Aizen's men. The descriptions of the men sound like Nnoitra Jiruga and Zommari Rureaux." Byakuya turned his head to see another officer hurling out three large bags filled with illegal drugs, mainly cocaine. "I suppose that Jiruga and Rureaux were after these narcotics. Either that or they were storing them here."

"Why do you suppose they didn't kill her?"

"That, I do not know but I have my suspicions. Reports have indicated that Jiruga prefers to toy with his victims for a while before he actually kills them. He probably will return to finish the job in a few days. She definitely doesn't need to stay here." He closed his folder and turned to his trustworthy lieutenant. "I know that it is customary for us to send rape victims to Karakura General for examination; however I want you to send her to Junrinan Hospital. I would like for Dr. Isane Kotetsu to examine her."

"Sure, Captain, but why?"

"Dr. Kotetsu is one of the best OBGYNs in the country and I'd feel more comfortable about this case if she does the examination. I want to catch these bastards immediately before they do this to anyone else."

"Yes, Captain."

"I'm going to go, but I'd like for you to remain here for a little while longer to make sure everything is going along accordingly. Continue to try to reach out to the victim's family if you can."

"Yes, Captain. Um . . . where are you going, if I may ask?" Byakuya turned and started to walk away.

"I'm going to get a drink at, Urahara's. It _is_ Happy Hour after all, Renji." Renji stared at his captain blankly as he pulled off in his squad car.

-.-.-

Walking through the doors of Urahara's Bar and Grill, Byakuya found the owner lounging around at the bar while Lisa served him a drink. "Kisuke Urahara," the noble greeted, his deep baritone rich and demanding his full attention. The quirky blonde smiled warmly upon turning around.

"Oh hello, Captain Kuchiki. You here to celebrate the big 3 – 0?"

"You know that is not until next week," the debonair man calmly replied, taking a seat. "I've come to discuss something with you."

"Surely you can enjoy a drink with me first. You only turn thirty once and it's never too early to celebrate! Come on, it's on the ho~use." Lisa's eyes widened.

"You're turning _thirty_? Damn, why did I think you were still like twenty five or something?"

"I look good for my age," he joked, ever so slightly smirking. "However, I think I will take that drink. You know what I like." Lisa nodded as she began mixing liquors in a shaker. Byakuya returned his attention to Kisuke. "I need some information from you." The blonde lifted a brow.

"About?"

"Renji and I were called to a double homicide and sexual assault today. I think Aizen's subordinates are responsible." He took a big sip of the drink, Senka, that Lisa had just finished making for him. Kisuke shook his head, taking a sip of his own alcohol.

"I wouldn't be surprised if it really was that bastard. Things have been getting out of hand around here lately."

"That's why I came to you. I know that the guy you hired to perform here on Wednesdays for LGBT night used to be part of the Arrancar." Kisuke chuckled.

"Oh you mean Charlotte? Yea he used to run drugs for them. Why? You want to know if he's been telling their dirty little secrets?"

"Precisely." Kisuke shook his head.

"Well, sorry to disappoint you, Kuchiki-taicho, but I don't think Charlotte knows any more than you do. He had a very low ranked position so I don't think he was privy to the juicy stuff."

"Surely he must know _something_. I would like to have a sit down with him regardless." Kisuke sighed deeply as he set down the glass of Kazeshini. He hated it when his old profession and his new profession collided.

"Tell you what, come here Wednesday and talk to him after his show. Maybe he will give you what you need. That is, if he doesn't kidnap you. I think you're _just his type_."

"I will pretend I did not hear that last comment." Kisuke laughed as they both took a sip of their liquor. The two handsome men suddenly turned their attention to the HD television above the bar. A commercial advertising Nike was playing and featured a very attractive, dark skinned woman running around a track field. Kisuke beamed from ear to ear.

"Ah, look at her go! Nike is definitely the right company for Yoruichi to endorse. They've been running this commercial a lot lately. You know she's moving back to Japan in a few days, right?"

"No, I hadn't heard." He lied. He saw the news plastered on the front of a tabloid magazine at the stall where he got his morning coffee.

"Well, she's excited to see everyone. She said that she wanted to get here before you turn thirty." Byakuya rolled his eyes, taking another sip of the Senka.

"I want no part in the shenanigans that demon is planning. I know how her mind works." Kisuke laughed.

"I know right." He sighed. "It's been so long since I've seen my best friend," he said wistfully. "I'm going to throw a big party for her on the first. You should definitely come if you're not hung-over from the night before."

"Can't. I have a date that evening." Kisuke's eyebrows lifted.

"Date? Well now, who's the lucky lady?"

"I'm sure you will find out in due time. However for right now, my lips are sealed."

"Always with the mystery, Kuchiki-taicho. You know we'll still be here long after I close. So come on by. Surely you can explain to this new love that you had to come see your first." Byakuya cringed and furrowed his eyebrows in annoyance as Kisuke said those words. Had he known that Yoruichi would go around gloating to everyone that she was the one to take his virginity some fourteen years ago, he would have never slept with her in the first place. _She's a demon. A demon, I swear she is._

"I must be off," Byakuya calmly said as he collected his coat and hat and headed toward the door. Kisuke chuckled in his drink as he watched the irritated man leave his establishment. Collecting Byakuya's glass, Lisa cocked an eyebrow.

"What was that all about?" Kisuke chuckled again as he gave Lisa his glass for another round of Kazeshini.

"Oh nothing but the remnants of an old crush."

* * *

**Ichigo**

Rukia giggled softly and moaned into Ichigo's shoulder as he placed light kisses on her neck. Her body trembled and heat rushed to her core as the teen lightly stroked her thigh.

"C –come on Ichigo. We haven't finished deciding on baby names yet," she said, trying her best to focus in on the iPad in her had. Ichigo smirked as he took it away from her and set it down on the night stand behind him. He put his empty hand on her breast and squeezed lightly, eliciting another moan from her.

"We can do that later. I'm a little . . . _preoccupied_ at the moment."

"Ichigo," Rukia protested, but Ichigo immediately silenced her with his lips. He shifted so that he lied directly on top of her, balancing his weight on his elbows. Rukia arched and bit his lip as she felt his growing bulge grind against the pool of her heat. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Rukia gave up on any attempt to decide on baby names and returned the orange haired man's affections. Letting her tongue sensually rub against his, Rukia kissed him deeply; her mind becoming hazy with lustful thoughts.

Her perky nipples were caught between Ichigo's fingers as he rolled them gently, making her quake with anticipation. She was so gone that she couldn't even remember when he had unbuttoned her top. She couldn't deny how badly she wanted him right then. The minute he started touching her, her body ignited. She had been severely horny lately as her raging hormones took control of her normally sensible personality. She tried to resist, wanting to maintain some part of her self-control but the last nights and days with Ichigo had been amazing. It was crazy how her unexpected pregnancy caused her to have the best sex of her young life.

Ichigo had no complaints at all about his fiancé's heightened libido. Her increased desire for him only served to make him all the crazier about her. She was his first love and only love. The more he could express his love for her, the better.

The couple had soon shed most of their clothing, the only barriers that remained were her pink, lace panties and his blue, plaid boxers. When Ichigo reached inside to tease her warmth, the phone beside their bed began to ring. Rukia glared at the black cordless. Ichigo firmly kissed her on the lips before shaking his head. "Don't answer it," he demanded, stroking her sensitive nub. Rukia whimpered and nodded her head, grinding her hips against his hand. After the first call ended, the phone began to ring again. Rukia looked at Ichigo apologetically.

"It might be Nii-Sama. He's the only one who has our new number," she said. Ichigo sighed deeply and rolled off to the side. Rukia made sure to slow her panting before she answered. "Hello?" Silence. Rukia initially thought she had just missed the call but upon listening closer, she could hear someone breathing on the other end. She furrowed her brows. "Hello?" she asked in a more demanding tone. "Who is this?" After not getting an answer, she put the cordless back on the charger. Ichigo's interest had been piqued.

"Who was it?"

"I don't know. Some idiot playing around."

"Oh." Smiling, the couple attempted to return to their foreplay only to be interrupted again. This time, Ichigo was the one who answered.

"Hello? Who is this?" he asked, his voice clearly annoyed. Once again, the only sound to be heard was the breathing on the other end. Ichigo gritted his teeth, anger building. "Look! I don't know who you are, but stop calling!" He slammed the phone down on the night stand after turning the ringer off. Ichigo's mood had been ruined but he began to calm back down upon feeling the soft lips of his fiancé on his neck and her hands touching him intimately. He buried his face in her shoulder and moaned as she fondled him, putting his brain back in sex mode. He couldn't wait any longer. He had to take her now before anything else could go wrong.

Quickly shedding the final layers of clothing, Ichigo grabbed Rukia by the hips and slightly pulled her upwards to lift her butt off the bed. With one fluid motion he entered her completely causing her to grip the sheet in ecstasy. Establishing a satisfying rhythm for her, he watched as she moan and writhed beneath him, grinding her hips against his strokes. He loved it when she called his name in that whimper she did whenever he was hitting her spot. He loved the pink tint that came over her face and body. He loved how she grabbed anything in site to hold onto when her warmth began to become more sensitive.

The minutes faded away as they made love, tossing and turning in the soft bed; each one nearing climax. As Ichigo felt a wave of pleasure shoot through him, he clenched Rukia tightly around her waist as he shouted his release. About a minute later, Rukia followed him, whimpering and sighing as her legs shook violently around him. Collapsing beside her, they stared at the ceiling as they tried to stabilize their breathing. Rukia beamed and put a hand to her slick forehead.

"Wow." Ichigo took the compliment with a smile of his own.

"Seriously." Wrapping an arm around her, he pulled her closer. She nuzzled against the crook of his neck wrapping her arm across his stomach and intertwining her legs with his. As the two cuddled and tried to drift off into a deep slumber, the doorbell rang. Looking at each other curiously, the couple reluctantly climbed out of their bed. Ichigo slipped on his discarded lounge pants and Rukia covered herself in a Chappy bathrobe. Following Ichigo to the door, she tried to peak over his shoulder as he looked outside. Looking left and right, Ichigo saw no sign of anyone. However, a medium sized, brown box was resting at the door. Rukia came over and read the label. She smiled widely upon realizing that it was the wedding invitations she had recently ordered from Sode no Shirayuki bridal store. Ichigo brought the box inside and sat at the dining room table beside her as she began to open it. The doe eyed woman's smile instantly faded as she realized that the box didn't contain the invitations she'd hoped for. Lying in the middle was a iPhone with a note under it. She reached for the note and read it out loud.

"Next time, I suggest you answer my calls. Love, Number Nine." They stared at each other confused, trying to figure out who the hell had sent them the note. Rukia picked up the cellphone and unlocked the screen. It appeared that a video had been playing on the phone. Curious, she pressed play. Rukia immediately threw the phone on the table and gasped loudly, her hands flying to her mouth. As the sound of moaning filled the quiet room, Ichigo's eyes widened as he realized that he recognized the voices. He quickly grabbed the phone. His heart stopped when he realized that the moans were coming from him and Rukia. He watched with wide eyes as the video showed his and Rukia's intense love making from before.

* * *

**Shunsui**

Senbonzakura was a popular salon and spa located in the Fugai District on Karakura City's west side. The salon, which was co-owned by Rangiku Matsumoto and Yumichika Ayasegawa, was usually very busy; so busy that they often had to reschedule appointments or operate late into the evening. However, business had been declining lately thanks to a rival salon and spa that had opened up across town. Rangiku was especially not pleased by this development, Shunsui could tell, as the blonde ranted about it while he calmly lied face down on the soft massage table.

"Can you believe it, Kyoraku-taicho?" she fumed while massaging his broad shoulders. "I mean, I've seen their work before and it's not very impressive at all. Their stylists don't even have half the talent that our ladies have."

"Aw, Rangiku-chan. At little healthy competition isn't so bad. It will help you guys stay on your A-game."

"I know, but something just isn't right about them. I think they are secretly prostituting their stylists and masseurs if you ask me."

"That's a pretty hefty accusation to make. You shouldn't say such slanderous things without knowing for sure if it's true or not."

"I'm pretty sure it is, taicho. Rumor has it that – "

"Wait! Stop! You can't go back there!"

"Oh shut up, you whore!"

Both Rangiku and Shunsui turned to the door where the two heard Senbonzakura's receptionist, Orihime, arguing with another female voice.

"What in the world?" Rangiku said, removing her hands from her customer. Before the beautiful woman had the chance to inspect what was happening, two women burst through the door. Shunsui sat up and regarded the intruders. One looked calm and serene while the other looked pissed.

"Hey cow tits! Stay off our turf!" the angry one shouted, stepping into Rangiku's personal space. The beauty narrowed her eyes.

"Cow tits?"

"You heard me, cow tits! We saw your little gay boyfriend trying to steal our customers in Seireitei Hill. The idiot even walked into our salon to hand out flyers. Uptown is _our_ turf so stay the hell away!" Rangiku smirked to herself. _So that's why Yumichika left early._

"Why the hell are you smirking, bitch?!"

"Apacci, calm down. There is no need to act like some rabid animal. You're making a fool out of yourself."

"Oh shut up, Sung-Sun!"

"Now, now, that's enough of that," Shunsui calmly said, drawing the attention of all three ladies. Apacci turned her rage onto him.

"And just who the fuck are you?!"

"Why I am Karakura City's new Chief of Police, Shunsui Kyoraku. Pleasure to meet you, young lady." Apacci rolled her eyes.

"Yeah right, you expect me to believe that?!"

"Apacci. Let's go. We have no more business here," Sung-Sun said, walking over toward the door. While her comrade had doubts, she knew exactly who Shunsui was. Sosuke Aizen had recently given the Arrancar a rundown of all of the captains and lieutenants in Karakura City. It seems as if her short tempered friend missed the memo.

"Hold on, Sung-Sun! I –"

"Our boss will be upset if we're late. I'm sure that you don't want to make her mad, do you, Apacci?" Gritting her teeth, Apacci balled her hands into a fist but reluctantly followed the green haired girl out of the room. Shunsui whistled as the door slammed behind them.

"Quite a lively bunch aren't they?" Rangiku rolled her eyes as she motioned for him to lie back down.

"Yea, they are. Those are the girls from the salon I was telling you about; Reina de Rosas."

"Ohh, so _those_ are the alleged hookers in question," Shunsui said with an amused smirk.

"Yep. That's them," Rangiku replied, continuing where she had left off with his massage.

"Very interesting." Shunsui thought that maybe Rangiku was on to something. While he didn't recognize the angry woman, he had seen the green haired girl and another darker skinned woman in one of the surveillance photos with the Espada, Tia Harribel. Maybe Harribel was in charge of the Aizen's prostitution ring? Perhaps it was time to send some of KCPD's officers over to Reina de Rosas to check the place out.

* * *

_A/N: Uh oh, looks like shit is getting real in Karakura City. Thank you for reading and reviews are always encouraged :)_


	5. Feminine Charms

_Thank you to the recent readers and followers! Thank you Deuces for the review and I'm getting better at my updates, lmao._

* * *

**Chapter Five: Feminine Charms  
**

**Jushiro  
**

Drumming his fingers on the table, Jushiro stared intensely at the clock on the wall as the minute hand slowly ticked away.

_10:12 pm._

Toshiro was now twelve minutes late for curfew. The tardiness of the snowy haired fifteen year old only further irked the already annoyed police captain. In addition to Toshiro's lack of attendance at tutoring sessions, it now appeared that his nephew had been engaging in illicit affairs. Upon coming home that evening and walking by the bedrooms, Jushiro couldn't help but notice the pungent odor that radiated from the teen's quarters. There was no doubt about it. Toshiro had been smoking marijuana. He even managed to find an unfinished joint just casually lying on the floor.

Jushiro sat quietly; lightly sipping on some chamomile tea which he hoped would calm his nerves. Although he was angry, he didn't want to _completely_ go off on the boy. But as time continued to tread along, Jushiro didn't know how much self-control would remain when his nephew returned. _If he knows what's good for him, he better walk through that door any second._

Finally, at 10:17 pm, the knob on the front door turned. Jushiro didn't move a single inch as the muffled sound of rock music and melodic hums filled the silent air. Jushiro tore his emerald eyes away from the clock and glared at the darkness shrouded doorway that connected the kitchen to the living room. Knowing his nephew as well as he did, he knew that the first place the boy would visit was the kitchen. Sure enough, it wasn't a moment or two later before he laid eyes on him.

The youth didn't seem to notice his guardian's presence in the room as he headed straight to the refrigerator to pour himself a glass of fruit juice. When the sound of music faded away from Toshiro turning off his music player, Jushiro promptly called for his attention.

"Toshiro."

"Juu-jisan?!" Toshiro gasped in shock, almost dropping the drink in his hand. He turned around and exhaled loudly as he put a hand to his chest. "Geez, you scared me! Why are you sitting here in the dark?"

"You're late for curfew."

"Oh, I am? I'm sorry. I may have lost track of time when I was leaving Karin's. We decided to study some after the lesson." Jushiro cocked an eyebrow. _Now he's taken up lying?_

"I see." Jushiro left the kitchen table and turned on the kitchen light, the brightness causing Toshiro to flinch. Upon returning to his seat, the middle aged man motioned to the chair across from him. "Toshiro Hitsugaya, sit."

The turquoise eyed boy's breath hitched. Considering that his whole name had been called, he automatically deducted that his uncle was angry with him. Maybe he should have left Lilynette's a little sooner.

As Jushiro regarded the boy in front of him, he could tell that Toshiro had been smoking. While he only smelled of overly applied cologne, the bloodshot and hazy eyes were a dead giveaway. "I want the honest truth from you, Toshiro. Where have you been? I know that you were not with the Kurosakis." Toshiro attempted to disregard the comment and insist that he was with Karin, but was silenced by an elegant hand.

"I have also learned that you haven't been with the Kurosakis for at least two weeks now. I had a conversation with both Isshin and Ochi-san and they seem to confirm your absence at the after school tutoring sessions. I also happened to find this little thing in your room today." Toshiro's eyes widned as he stared at the half –of – joint nestled between the green eyed man's fingers. "So I'll ask you again, and I want the truth. Where have you been?" Toshiro sighed. He was tempted to lie, but he knew that it was useless at this point. While he may have been able to get away with things when his uncle wasn't aware of his deceit, doing so now would be ten times more difficult. He simply did not want that kind of trouble.

"I was at Lilynette's place. We were hanging out and I lost track of time like I said. I didn't mean to stay out so late."

"So is that where you've been this whole time when I thought you were with Karin?"

"Yes, Sir."

"What exactly do you two do when you're over there?"

"We just . . . hang out."

"Are you using marijuana with this girl?"

" . . . yes."

"Is she the one giving it to you?"

" . . . yes." Jushiro groaned as he ran his hands through his silky, straight mane.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous smoking marijuana is? Do you realize what could happen to you if you were to get caught?!"

"I just wanted to see what it was like. I only smoked a handful of times."

"You smoked a handful of times in a police officer's home?! What is going through your mind?!"

"You are! Okay?!" Jushiro was taken aback by the amplified tone of the teen. Although his voice had become disrespectful, his eyes held an emotion more akin to worry. Jushiro held his tongue and allowed the boy to continue. Toshiro sighed, holding back salty tears that were eager to fall. "Ever since you told me that you were sick, I've been trying to find some way not to think about it. So last week, I started smoking some of Lilynette's weed. I just needed a way to escape everything."

Jushiro didn't quite know what to say. He had been so riled up about his ward's bad behavior that he never once considered the motivation behind it. Nevertheless, he couldn't have his pride and joy going around sullying his limitless future. He also couldn't have the boy gallivanting with a girl who was so flippant toward the law.

"I understand that this situation is difficult for you, Toshiro, but you mustn't put your future on the line in such a way. You needn't worry. My operation this Wednesday should be fine. Dr. Unohana is a reputable surgeon, so I will be in good hands. I am, however, worried about you. I don't think I want you hanging around Lilynette anymore." Toshiro's eyes instantly hardened.

"You don't want me around her? But . . . I love her. I can't avoid her. I won't."

"She is a negative influence, Toshiro. You think she's helping you, but she's really only jeopardizing your future."

"She wouldn't do that. She loves me. We're in love!" Jushiro was amazed at how his demeanor had done a complete 360. He figured that the effects of the marijuana were wearing off, but he also wondered to himself if marijuana was the only drug that Lilynette had been providing.

"Toshiro, calm down. You're coming down from a high so you're a little agitated right now."

"No, I won't. How can you tell me to break up with the woman I love?!"

"You've only been dating for a little while."

"So?! I still love her! And I won't let you keep me away from her!" At that, Toshiro leapt out of his chair, knocking it to the floor. Jushiro watched stunned as the adolescent bolted toward the living room and out the front door. Jushiro growled lightly as he gave chase after him. He quickly put on his shoes and winter coat as fast as he could. His breath hitched as the harsh, late January winds assaulted his sensitive skin.

"Toshiro! Toshiro Hitsugaya! You come back here right now! Toshiro!" Jushiro had only made it halfway down the street before his lungs convinced him to stop. Covering his mouth with both hands, the captain, who many considered to be the epitome of strength, was rendered to his knees by a violent coughing spell. He tried his best to control the attack as the snow covered sidewalk began to gain a red tint from the blood coming from his mouth. After a few stares and vocalizations of concern from a few onlookers, Jushiro was able to regain control of his body. He thanked the passersby for their concern before reluctantly walking back inside of his Okenyama home.

He cursed that his feeble condition did not allow him to continue to give chase after his rebelling nephew. But after calling in a favor to his station to be on the lookout for the boy, he was reassured enough to get some rest.

* * *

**Ichigo  
**

"Wow, I can't believe that Byakuya actually let you borrow his car. He sure has been getting soft lately."

"Oi, what's that supposed to mean? Of course Kuchiki-taicho let me borrow his car. After all I am his trustworthy lieutenant aren't I?" Ichigo smirked as he stared at the back of Renji's head as the lieutenant carefully navigated the streets of Seireitei Hill in the black Lexus.

"Yeah, maybe. But still, this is Byakuya we're talking about. He won't even let me drive this thing around the block and I'm about to be his brother-in-law."

"Well, maybe that's because you're an idiot," a voice coming from the front passenger's seat said. Ichigo could feel a vein at his temples.

"What was that, Ikkaku? How about you say that to my face!"

"Gladly."

"You two shouldn't start arguments when we need to be focused on the task ahead," a cool and calm voice sitting beside Ichigo said. Renji nodded his head.

"Chad's right. We need to focus on investigating this place. Besides, Kuchiki-taicho is only lending me his car out of duty. He said that if we wanted to blend in better with Seireitei Hill's upper class, we should look the part as to not rouse any suspicions." Ichigo made an "oh" face as he sat back in the black leather seat.

"So that's why Shinji told me to dress up today. It all makes sense now."

"You mean you didn't know where we were going until you came to work today?" Ikkaku asked. Ichigo shook his head.

"No. The last I knew I was still assigned Grimmjow and Ulquiorra. He sprung this one on me at the last minute." He put a finger to his lips in thought. "Then again, he has been giving me flack lately since I got beat up by Grimmjow." Ikkaku laughed.

"He should. Ichigo what happened to you man? The old you should have been able to take that beating with no problem. I think_ you're_ the one who's gone soft."

"Ikkaku, you bastard!"

"Can you two idiots please get it together?" Renji said, his rugged voice annoyed. "We're here." The four men regarded the large and lovely building in front of them: Reina de Rosas Salon and Spa. Ichigo, Ikkaku and Chad were each handpicked by their respective captains to be a part of this investigation of the suspicious business. Shinji and Shunsui picked Ichigo and Chad because they were new members and doubted that Aizen had any information on either of them. Kenpachi picked Ikkaku because he only had been promoted to lieutenant within the last few days, also unknown to Aizen. Byakuya had suggested to Shunsui that Renji should go as well since he was the only one of the four who was experienced in undercover work. He proposed that Renji could offer the men suggestions as to what they should do. The wealthy captain also suggested Renji in order to increase his chances for a promotion to captain if he should step down to become Karakura City's Chief Prosecutor.

As Renji waited patiently in the car, Ikkaku, Chad and Ichigo walked inside of the building. The first thing the three officers noticed about the salon was how high class the décor was. Considering each of them had come from humble to middle class homes, neither had been in a place that was so fancy. Ichigo was, perhaps, the most accustomed to the lavish atmosphere, considering his connection with the Kuchiki family. However, he doubted that he had ever been to a place fancier than this.

The hair stylists were positioned at black, mahogany wood stations with clients in Italian leather chairs in front of two long rows of mirrors. All of the stylists were female, with the exception of one of two men. The stylists were all dressed in sophisticated white uniforms and their tools and products were top of the line. There was also a bar towards the back, a large waterfall in between the two rows and a fancy aquarium by the waiting area.

"Hello, and welcome to Reina de Rosas," a tall and beautiful dark skinned woman greeted them at the receptionist desk upon arrival. "What can we do for you all today?"

"Uh, we have an appointment under Yuichi Fushibi," Ikkaku said, shaking his head to clear his awe struck brain. The woman tapped the receptionist at the computer on the shoulder and she began searching for the name.

"So one haircut and two massages?" Ikkaku nodded. "Okay, well I have the hair cut. The other two of you can head on to the back. Cirucci in room six and Apacci in room eight will be waiting for you. Nodding their thanks, Ichigo and Ikkaku followed Mila Rose's directions and walked to the back of the salon while Chad followed the curvy woman to one of the stations.

The back section of the salon was just as elegant as the front; however it was more dimly lit and had a more sensual feel to it. Upon entering room six, Ichigo noticed that the quarter was dimly lit as well. Aromatheraputic candles were the only lighting in the small room filled with black décor. Soft, sensual music played on a hidden stereo and the small window in the room had black Venetian blinds that were completely shut.

Before he came into the room, the usher in the back instructed Ichigo to remove all of his clothing and that his masseuse would be there soon. So there he was naked, with a single white sheet covering his lower half, lying face up toward the ceiling with his arms tucked behind his head. The relaxing atmosphere tempted him with sleep. He had been up until 2 am the previous night because he helped Byakuya install security cameras around the inside and outside of his and Rukia's apartment. The incident with the package from 'Number Nine' had successfully creeped the couple out. Considering that she was on unofficial (Byakuya mandated) maternity leave and would mostly be at home during the day, both Ichigo and Byakuya wanted to make sure that she was guarded when neither of them could be there.

At the thought of this, Ichigo reached for his cell in his discarded pants pocket in order to check up on his fiancé but the sound of the door opening stopped him.

"Good afternoon," the curvy, purple haired woman said with a smile as she slowly closed the door behind her. Ichigo's eyes widened slightly as he noticed the masseuse was wearing a form fitting, short and revealing white uniform. The skimpy outfit contrasted greatly to the sophisticate attire the other workers were wearing. "I'm Cirucci, and I will be serving you today. Please lie down." Ichigo gulped as the woman slowly approached him, her strides sensual with her hips swinging from side to side. A look of both mirth and sensuality were clear in her eyes as she watched the blush come across Ichigo's face when she poured some lotion in her hands and seductively rubbed them together. As Ichigo lied down on his back, his voice came out a little hoarse.

"O-okay."

-.-.-

"So how did everything go?" Renji asked the three men when they returned to the car after an hour's time. Ikkaku sighed as he got in the back seat with Chad.

"Kyoraku-taicho was right. They are running a prostitution ring in there. My masseuse offered me sex but I told her I was married."

"Same here. Mila Rose wanted to know if I wanted a blowjob from one of the girls in the back. I told her I was gay and she left me alone." Renji laughed. He then turned to Ichigo who was nervously sitting on the front seat with his hands folded and tightly tucked between his thighs. His face was beet red and a light sheen of sweat glistened on his cheeks. Renji cocked an eyebrow.

"What about you, Ichigo? Did they proposition you as well?"

"Y-yes," he replied, voice mimicking his nervousness.

"Well, what did you do to get out of it?"

"I . . . I didn't." Immediately, everyone's eyes widened. Ikkaku face palmed.

"Idiot." He muttered, sighing deeply. Chad shook his head. Renji was more vocal.

"What do you mean 'you didn't'?"

"That Cirucci girl offered me a hand job . . . and . . . well . . ."

"You let her do it?!"

"Hey, I didn't know you were supposed to say no."

"Ugh! You idiot! Of course you say no! We're fucking cops!" Renji groaned and lightly banged the steering wheel. "Gah Ichigo!"

"Our captains are going to be _pissed_," Ikkaku said with a long sigh. He reached up and smacked the back of Ichigo's head. "Thanks a lot, dumbass."

"Sorry! I didn't know, I swear!" Renji sighed and hugged the steering wheel. Because he had slept with an escort, he could empathize with Ichigo somewhat. However, in that instance, he didn't know she was a prostitute. This boy had photos and _everything_.

"We're going to have to tell Hirako-taicho," Renji reluctantly said. "There's no way around it. If that girl talks when we do the raid, we all could be suspended. If we tell now, the worst that could happen is that you'll be demoted to traffic duty for a little while. Hirako-taicho is pretty laid back." A look of desperation flashed across the eighteen year old's eyes.

"Can we not? Shinji's already annoyed at me because I let Grimmjow get away. This will only piss him off more."

"We have no choice!" Renji shouted. "If that girl tells one of the officers that she gave you a hand job and we didn't tell Hirako-taicho about it, then all of us are fucked!" Ichigo threw his head back and quenched his eyes. He knew that Renji was right. However, it still didn't make the pill easier to swallow.

"Fine."

-.-.-

After taking Chad and Ikkaku home, Renji went back to Seireitei Hill to take Ichigo home. The orange haired teen was relieved to see that Rukia had not yet returned from her criminology classes. That way he could get his thoughts together before he faced his soon-to-be bride. Renji stayed with him briefly and tried his best to calm down the _much_ less sexually experienced male. As he got ready to leave, Ichigo called out to him, stopping him in his tracks.

"Um . . . can you please not tell Rukia or Byakuya about what happened?" Renji chuckled and shook his head.

"Don't worry, I don't feel like attending your funeral anytime soon."

* * *

**Renji **

Stirring some sugar into the freshly made coffee at the Fullbring Café, Jackie wondered why she even agreed to this outing. It had been almost a week since the redheaded cop had collected his truck from her. He was both surprised and pleased to see that she was able to restore the nine year old automobile into a newer looking condition. Along with her payment, he had offered to take her out anywhere she desired.

So there she sat, in her favorite, local café, patiently waiting for and dreading the arrival of her companion for the day. It wasn't too much longer when the tall man arrived, jingling the bells on the door. He was still dressed in his officer's uniform, she noticed. It was the first time that she had actually seen him in that garb. All other times, he had been dressed down in street attire. She had to admit that the tailored look really did make him look more attractive. She groaned and shook her head at the thought. _Get it together, Jackie_. _Just one cup of coffee and you're out of here._

"Sorry for being late. I got held up at work." Renji said as he took a seat at the booth after ordering his own cup of coffee and a pastry.

"That's alright. I haven't been waiting here long." He nodded. The two sat in silence for a few moments, neither knowing exactly what to say. Jackie finally broke the awkwardness by posing the one question that had been nagging at her ever since Renji had asked her out the previous Sunday. "Why did you ask me out?" Renji's relaxed expression contorted into one that suggested that the woman was crazy for even asking the question.

"I've already told you. I did it out of thanks. I've never had a mechanic as good as you and I just want to show my gratitude." Jackie smirked.

"I know what you said, but what is the _real_ reason? It seems kind of sketchy that a police officer would be having coffee with the person whom he just arrested."

"Maybe so but you were released weren't you? Once we discovered that you weren't carrying happa, we let you go." Jackie bit her lip and scowled upon remembering the day she first met Renji. Ginjo had given her a concealed and odorless package of what she thought was marijuana and told her to make an exchange with a new dealer he had recently been contacting. Ginjo later told her that he suspected that the dealer was an undercover cop and at the last minute, he switched the marijuana with oregano. If the dealer turned out to be legit, he'd give him the real stuff. If it was an agent, like he suspected, then he wouldn't have gotten in trouble. Because more serious crimes were amiss, it wasn't until the next morning that KCPD officers actually examined the package and realized that it was oregano. Because of this, they had to let Jackie go free. However, her actions provided reasonable enough suspicion to confirm her activity in Xcution.

"Yes, but it may be a tactic of yours to try and woo me so you can get me to snitch. Well, I hate to break it to you, but you're shit outta luck." Renji smirked before putting the white mug to his lips, taking a long sip of the hazelnut flavored drink. This woman greatly intrigued him. She had a major chip on her shoulder, but yet seemed soft at the same time.

"This ain't wooing, Tristan-san. I just happen to find you interesting is all."

"Is that so?"

"Yea, it is. You don't have to put your guard up with me. I'm simply here as Renji Abarai, not a lieutenant." Jackie chuckled sarcastically as she fiddled with her white mug of coffee.

"Yes, that's _very_ reassuring."

"Where are you from?" the curious redhead asked, changing the subject. "I can tell you have an accent and it doesn't sound Japanese. It kind of sounds American."

"That's because I'm from the States. I'm from a city called Oakland." Renji's face made a silent "oh" as he nodded.

"Oakland, huh? I've heard of that city. That's in the Bay Area, where Tupac came from., right?" Jackie cocked an eyebrow and smirked.

"You listen to hip hop?" Renji smirked as well.

"Yea, of course. I listen to it every day. Why, is that a shock to you?"

"Actually . . . yeah, it kind of is. I mean, I never really expected a cop to listen to gangsta rap. Aren't you all supposed to be the upholders of the law? Doesn't that go against your creed?"

"Perhaps, but I wasn't always a cop, you know. I may be an officer now, but I was once on the other side. I spent eighteen years of my life living in Inuzuri." Jackie's eyebrows lifted. She knew that Inuzuri was one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in all of Japan. Its violence even greatly rivaled some of the hoods in her home country. She never knew that such a place could produce a man like him.

"I might be successful now, but I can never forget my roots, you know. I hated every minute living there but it's part of what made me the man I am today. That's why whenever we do undercover investigations in neighborhoods like Inuzuri or Kusajishi or Zaraki, they often ask me to do them because I blend in so well." _He isn't lying_, Jackie thought as she looked him over. With his tattoos, bright red hair, and tough guy expression, she would have never guessed him to be a police officer if she had not known him.

"I see," was her simple response before taking a sip of coffee.

"What about you? Do you like hip hop music?"

"For the most part, yes. However, I prefer other styles of it than gangsta rap."

"There's this club in Karakura City that I like to go to when I'm free. Would you like to check it out with me sometime?"

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Aw, come on. Just one little club visit couldn't hurt. Drinks on me, I promise." Jackie silently contemplated the possibility of going out again with this man. The conflict of interest for both of them was outstanding. So outstanding that she didn't completely trust his intentions just yet. However, she couldn't deny that she was attracted to him. She was curious to know more about him.

"Alright. I'll go with you."

* * *

**Shunsui  
**

With the exception of the sounds from the rebroadcasting of the Lakers v. Hornets game on the television, the surgical waiting room of Karakura General was absolutely silent. Accompanied by Toshiro, Shunsui Kyoraku had now spent a good part of his day at the hospital. Lisa came to join him two hours ago after her shift was over. Rukia had just left in order to meet up with Byakuya to celebrate his thirtieth birthday at Gatonden. Lilynette had arrived thirty minutes ago in order to give her boyfriend support.

Shunsui was amused when he first laid eyes on the girl. He had heard about her from Jushiro, who had made his disapproval of her abundantly clear. With her vibrant hair and contacts, skimpy attire, and rough attitude, he understood why a "boy scout" like Jushiro would take offense to her. However, Shunsui figured that she was just going through a phase and it was not to be taken so seriously.

Still, there was something about her that intrigued him. Something about her features greatly reminded him of someone, but he couldn't exactly place who. Maybe she was related to one of his colleagues? Maybe she was the daughter of one of his companions from his educational days? Until he figured it out, not knowing would only continue to annoy the forty six year old man.

Diverting his attention from his thoughts, Shunsui glanced at the large digital clock on the wall adjacent to the HDTV. _8:26 pm_. It had now been almost five and a half hours since Jushiro had went under the knife. When Retsu Unohana took him in at 3:00 pm, she informed him and Toshiro that the surgery would take approximately 4 to 6 hours. After an hour or two in, he managed to calm Toshiro's nerves. However, as time slowly ticked along, he could help but to get nervous himself. His mind continued to wander into the darkest "What if" scenarios.

"Lisa-chan, I'm going outside to get some fresh air," he said, trying to knock himself from the negative thoughts. "Please text me or call me if Dr. Unohana says that he's out." Lisa nodded and Shunsui gave her thigh a tight squeeze before leaving the waiting room and exiting between two sliding doors.

-.-.-

Shunsui was not oblivious to the blistering cold air that surrounded him when he left the comfort of the well heated building. However, he simply could not be around his Lisa-chan when he poured the miniature bottle of Absolut into the bottle of cranberry juice he had just purchased from the vending machine. Lisa had been on his case lately for his upswing in drinking and another lecture from her was the last thing he needed at the moment.

Shunsui sipped leisurely on the spiked juice, letting his mind drift to positive things in order to not dwell on the harsh conditions and his worries. He imagined Lisa and himself relaxing on a nude beach somewhere exotic, like Monaco or Sicily. That was his go to fantasy whenever he was feeling down. However, the sensual imagery didn't last long as he was soon interrupted by a gentleman coming to join him on the bench. The tall man with wavy brown tresses had a cigarette to his lips and a lighter in his hand. He slowly turned his blue eyes on Shunsui when he felt the chief's grey eyes land on him.

"Oh, sorry," he said, his voice as laid back as his expression. "I hope you don't mind." Shunsui shrugged.

"By all means." Lighting the cigarette, the man took a deep, languid puff before blowing the smoke out in a long stream. He offered Shunsui a cigarette of his own to which the latter quickly declined by waving the empty bottle of Absolut.

"It's funny," the stranger thought out loud as he put the carton of cigarettes back inside of his pocket. "Humans are, I mean. It could be negative twenty degrees Celsius and I'm sure people would still be outside smoking or drinking. By all reasoning, we should be indoors. That's what any logical species would do."

"The human race defies all types of logic, my friend," Shunsui said, humor in his voice. "The media shows us this every day." The blue eyed man nodded in agreement.

"You're right, I suppose." He took another puff. "So what brings you to this bench? You got family inside?"

"Yea, I do. My best friend of thirty years is in surgery. We're hoping that they will be able to remove his cancer."

"Sorry to hear that. I hope he'll be okay."

"Likewise. And yourself?"

"I'm not here for any family in that sense. I'm just here to pick up my little sister. She's in there with her boyfriend." Shunsui lowered his straw hat that he was fond of wearing and smirked_. Aaahh, I knew that girl stood out to me for a reason_.

"I see." He took a deep sip of the drink and the two men remained silent for a few moments. "Can I offer you a bit of advice, Starrk-san?" Starrk did not appear surprised nor uneasy that the man already knew his name.

"Hn?"

"That sister of yours, Lilynette is her name, right? I don't think that you should let her come into such close contact with your affairs with Sosuke Aizen. Apparently she has been providing my god son with kusa. I just would like to let you know that if one of my officers should catch her, it may not bode well for her future." Starrk chuckled as he ashed the cigarette. He sighed deeply before putting the carcinogen back between his lips.

"I appreciate the advice, Kyoraku-san."

"There you are!" The two men instantly turned to their left as the annoyed voice of Lisa permeated the chilled air. Eyes filled with aggravation, she jogged over to her partner and gave him a good whack over the head. "What didn't you answer your calls?" Shunsui cocked a brow and pulled out the Samsung Galaxy in his pocket. The screen was off.

"Well it seems that my battery went down faster than I had anticipated."

"Idiot!" Lisa whacked him again, earning a wince from the older man. "Anyways, I just wanted to let you know that Dr. Unohana said that Ukitake-taicho is alright. She said that everything went well and they were able to remove the tumor." The grey eyes of KCPD's police chief came alive and he immediately jumped to his feet.

"Well, now! That's excellent news!" He briefly turned to Starrk and gave him a nod of the hat. "Well, it was nice to meet you, Espada-san. But I must be going now." Starrk simply gave a wave of his hand in acknowledgement, his eyes closed and smoke spilling from his lips.

"You too, taicho-san."

* * *

**Byakuya**

Byakuya Kuchiki was a man who loved to leave an impression. No matter the circumstance, he always wanted to leave people marveling. That's why he figured that an afterhours tasting at the Minazuki Winery would surely impress the squad two captain who was to accompany him that evening. Sure enough, Sui Feng's eyes lit up as Byakuya led her through a set of patio doors that led to an exquisitely decorated table sitting in the middle of one of Minazuki's vineyards.

"Kuchiki-taicho, this is lovely," Sui Feng said in complete awe as she took a seat at the table after Byakuya chivalrously pulled out her chair.

"I'm glad you enjoy the scene," he said before taking his own seat across from her. "I did my best to reserve an afterhours tasting. This way the staff's attention will be undivided."

Although Sui Feng came from wealth, she had never been treated to such a lavish place. The petite captain stared in awe at her surroundings as the soft lighting made the vineyard all the more beautiful. The food was delectable and the wine served was of the utmost quality. She was very impressed with the captain indeed.

As the time slowly ticked along, both he and she appeared to be enjoying the other's company. Althought neither talked much; the dead air was neither stifling nor awkward. Byakuya figured that he could get used to the dating scene again. He fully expected the date to be a disaster but he was happy to be wrong.

However, before the captain began to take a bite of his lemon meringue dessert, Byakuya stared down at his iPhone annoyed as the cellular device began to vibrate on the table. The number that popped up on the screen belonged to Kisuke Urahara, who had sent him a text. Before the police captain had the opportunity to open it, he received another incoming text. This time it was an unknown number. Byakuya looked up at his date with annoyed and apologetic eyes.

"I apologize for the interruption," he stoically said.

"It's fine, really. I don't mind."

While Urahara's text was a simple "are you coming?", the second text was more inflammatory. Byakuya's eyes widened as a picture of a gay couple engaging in oral/anal affairs popped up on his screen. Below the picture was the caption "You suck ass" in all caps. Byakuya felt a slight heat come to his cheek and ears. He didn't know if it was from embarrassment or from anger. Even though he didn't recognize the number, he knew exactly who sent him the lewd picture.

"Yoruichi, you demon," he growled low under his breath. Sui Feng raised a brow.

"Is everything alright, Kuchiki-taicho?" He swallowed the lump in his throat, using the merlot to aide him, before he nodded.

"Yes, it is. It just seems that Yoruichi Shihoin enjoys playing around on my phone. Apparently she caught wind that I didn't plan on attending her party tonight." Sui Feng's other eyebrow lifted.

"Party? What party?"

"The party that Kisuke Urahara is hosting for her tonight at his restaurant. He planned on having it after he closed to the public." Byakuya's eyes widened again as he regarded the furious expression that suddenly overcame the beautiful woman's features. He slowly set down the glass of wine. "Sui Feng-taicho? Are you okay?"

"That bastard didn't tell me about a party!" Byakuya immediately went silent, surprised by how the woman could go from calm to enraged on a whim.

"Uh . . . well, Yoruichi's welcome back party is going on now. He said he'd throw it as soon as she returned home. She just got in today."

"That son of a bitch! He told me that Yoruichi-sama's flight was coming in on Sunday!" She slammed her fist on the table, drawing the eyes of some of the staff and embarrassing Byakuya at the same time.

"Sui Feng-taicho, please – "

"And you!" She snarled and pointed a slender finger at the mortified and surprised captain. "How could you not tell me about this! You took me on this date when I could be with Yoruichi-sama right now!"

"I assumed you knew?"

"Well I didn't! It seems like you idiots love to keep secrets!" Sui Feng growled and slammed her fists into the table again before jumping to her feet. She grabbed the coat on the back of her chair and hastily put it on. She jerked her head toward her company. "This date is over. I expect you to take me to Urahara's now." Byakuya blinked in stupefaction, still not believing how a wonderful time could turn this sour this fast. _Maybe dating is overrated. _

-.-.-

Sui Feng wasted no time leaping out of Byakuya's squeaky clean, black Lexus and bolting toward the entrance of Urahara's. Banging on the glass door loudly, she waved her hands and lightly bounced up and down on her yellow heels, trying to get someone's attention over the loud music. About a minute later, the owner of the establishment unlocked the door, grinning from ear to ear.

"Well, well," Urahara greeted in his trademark, laidback tone, "fancy seeing you two here together. I guess I found out who the mystery lady was, huh Kuchiki-taicho." Byakuya's eyes narrowed sarcastically before a tiny hand reached out to smack Urahara over the head.

"Bastard!" Sui Feng said as she pushed Urahara out of the way and made her way inside. "Where is Yoruichi-sama?" Urahara shrugged.

"I don't know. I'm sure she's around here somewhere. Try the bathroom. I think she did one too many shots of Kazeshini, so she may be in there." Sui Feng didn't have to think twice as she rapidly made her way to the women's restroom, not bothering to stop and say hello to anyone else. After Urahara relocked the door when Byakuya came in, he chuckled as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "Got her again."

"You love to joke and play around, don't you, Kisuke Urahara?"

"Why yes, of course I do. Everyone needs a little laughter, ne?"

"Perhaps," was Byakuya's simple reply as he made his way through the medium sized crowed of people over to the bar where Tessai was making drinks.

Upon ordering a juice and some French fries, Byakuya sat quietly in one of the booths in the back of the restaurant, watching the people as they partied. Half of the people he knew; Shinji, Kensei, Hachigen, Isshin, and Rangiku among others. But the other half, he didn't. However, he did recognize them from the magazine covers, television shows, and music industry. Apparently both Yoruichi's regular friends and celebrity friends had come out to celebrate her return. Byakuya smirked to himself, knowing that the Olympic gold medalist had to be eating up the all of the attention that was being showered upon her.

"Guess who," a cheery voice whispered into Byakuya's ear as two hands flew around to cover his eyes. Sighing annoyed, Byakuya moved the hands away.

"Who else could it be but you, demon?" She chuckled.

"You're still calling me that, Byakuya-bo?" She nudged him on the shoulder with the side of her hip, letting him know that she wanted to join him in the booth. He sighed again before sliding over to the window.

"I still call you that because you keep giving me a reason to. For instance, like that disgusting picture you sent to me earlier." Yoruichi laughed loudly.

"You have to admit, Byakuya-bo, that was pretty hilarious."

"Thus why I call you a demon."

"Aw, all these years I've been away in Jamaica and you still don't know how to be kind to me. It's actually kind of nice to see that you haven't changed." She chuckled before taking some of Byakuya's fries from the basket. Her chuckle turned into a full laugh as his face contorted into an expression of annoyance. "You're looking pretty good in your old age," she teased. "I hate that my flight didn't come in until today. I was hoping to crash your celebrations yesterday."

"There was not much to crash; Just dinner with the family at Gatonden and drinks with Hirako-taicho and Otoriboshi-taicho at Katen Kyokotsu."

"Aww, no birthday nookie?" Byakuya narrowed his eyes causing Yoruichi to giggle. "Guess that's a no."

"More like, 'none of your business'."

"Ohhh! Look who's gotten grown on me." Byakuya swatted her hand away when she tried to steal another fry before eating one himself.

"Hey, speaking of Katen Kyokotsu, I'm going to be doing an event down there next week. Sakanade is performing and she wants me to come check her out. You should come too." Byakuya shook his head.

"No thank you. I think I will pass."

"Oh, come on, Byakuya-bo. It will be fun. I'm pretty sure you will enjoy yourself. I know that you're a big fan of jazz and you like r&b music so that can't be the problem. And you just went there last night."

"That is true."

"So come on. I can get Nike to give you free sne~akers."

"Are you seriously bribing me with footwear?"

"Hey, I figured you could use it. It may give you an extra boost in your speed. Maybe then you can finally catch me in a race." Byakuya's eyebrows furrowed which earned a hearty laugh from the woman.

"And that is supposed to convince me?"

"Uh, yeah? I mean, if you are content on forever being second place, then that's fine by me. However, I'd think you'd want to challenge your skills to see if you have improved." Byakuya closed his eyes and tried to calm his nerves. Yoruichi always seemed to be able to reach that hot headed teenager that he had suppressed deep within himself. Even though he had not physically seen her since 2008 due to her relocation to her mother's and paternal grandmother's homeland, Jamaica, the two had stayed in touch by email and the occasional phone conversation. No matter which way they communicated, Yoruichi frequently teased him and touched that one particular nerve.

"Fine. I will attend your event. However, the Nikes have nothing to do with it. I just happen to be fond of Sakanade's music. That's all." Yoruichi smirked and shook her head.

"Alright, Byakuya-bo. Well, no matter the reason, I'm just happy to be able to spend time with you again." Byakuya's eyes widened briefly as the coco hued woman unexpectedly threw her arm around his shoulder and leaned in to give him a quick peck on the cheek. As she quickly left the booth to mingle with more of their mutual associates, he absentmindedly stroked the place where her pink lip gloss had left a mark.

* * *

_To be continued . . ._


	6. The Bonds that Tie Us

_Thank you to DeucesAreWild and Tannhauser for the reviews! Thank you for the recent favorites and follows as well. Alright I'm not going to delay with too much talking, so on to the fic :)_

* * *

**Chapter Six  
**

**Jushiro  
**

It had been exactly one week since Jushiro's lung surgery and he was just starting to gather the strength to talk somewhat comfortably. After being confined to ICU during the first four days of his recovery, Jushiro was happy to be in a regular hospital room so he would be able to spend time with his well-wishers. His lieutenant and most of his station had visited him. Rukia, Ichigo, Byakuya, Renji and many of the other police agents had come by to see him as well. Even Yoruichi and Urahara dropped by for a quick visit before they went off and got into whatever mischief they were known for. But the one person who had been by his side most during the entire ordeal was his best friend, Shunsui Kyoraku.

"You sure have been getting a lot of love while you've been taking this little vacation, my friend. Especially from the ladies," Shunsui said as he sat in a chair, reading some of the cards Jushiro had received. The police chief was completely exhausted, having just got off from another long, hard day at the station. Nevertheless, he made sure to stop by the hospital before he went home or off drinking at Urahara's. "Oh this one is from Rangiku. She said she's offering you a complementary massage whenever you are feeling up to it. She said it might help you relax."

"That's nice," Jushiro said in a hoarse tone. Shunsui shook his head.

"I'll say. You're one lucky man, Jushiro. A free massage from that beauty? Hell, I might need to schedule myself a surgery as well." Jushiro couldn't help the laugh that escaped him but he immediately regretted doing it. He winced and grimaced at the onset of pain in his chest. Shunsui gave him an apologetic glance. "I'm sorry, Jushiro. I'll try to stop joking around and making you laugh. I just tend to deal with these situations by making humor out of them, but I guess that's not the best thing in this case." Jushiro winced and nodded his head as a sign of both agreement and understanding.

He glanced up at the clock on the wall that was just to the left of the television. It was a few minutes away from seven o'clock. It was almost time for Toshiro to be finished with his tutoring session at Karakura High School. For the past week, Shunsui had been both dropping and picking Toshiro up from the sessions. Before he went under the knife, Jushiro had asked his best friend if he could make sure that Toshiro focused on his studies. Of course, Shunsui agreed.

"To – Toshiro," Jushiro weakly said, pointing up to the clock on the wall. Shunsui looked up as well, taking note of the time.

"Oh, that's right! It _is_ time to pick up Toshiro. Sorry, about that. I guess I'm just not used to having to look after a kid. I'll leave right now." Jushiro smiled and nodded his thanks as he watched his best friend put down the stack of get well soon cards that he had been reading out loud and get re-dressed in his officer's jacket and overcoat. "Do you need anything before I go? Juice? Water?" Jushiro shook his head. "Alright, well you try and get some rest, okay? I need you at your best."

"Kyoraku-taicho, are you bothering my patient?" a kind, feminine voice suddenly asked. Both Shunsui and Jushiro shifted their eyes to the door to see that Retsu Unohana had just come through. Shunsui grinned and shook his head.

"No, ma'am, I wouldn't dream of it. I was actually on my way out to pick up my god son. I leave the care of my lover in your capable hands." Jushiro rolled his eyes and smiled. He and Shunsui were so close that they had often been mistaken for a romantic couple over the years. Even when Retsu first met the pair in college, she initially thought that they were boyfriends. While it annoyed both of them greatly at first, in time they found a way to embrace it and turn it into a joke.

"Have a good evening, Kyoraku-taicho." Shunsui gave a simple wave of his hand before exiting the room. Retsu smiled warmly at her patient and long-time friend as she walked over to stand beside his bed. "How are you feeling today? You don't have to answer me. Just give me a thumbs-up or thumbs-down." Jushiro gave a thumbs-up. "That's good. I'm sorry that I'm just now coming to see you again. I checked on you this morning, but you were still asleep. But the nurses have kept me updated. Kiyone-kun said you've been so kind and sweet to them. I think she and some others may even have a crush on you." A faint blush covered the pale man's cheeks. Retsu couldn't help but giggle at the cute expression.

"Are you hungry?" He shook his head. "Have you eaten at all since lunch?" He shook his head again. "Well, I'm going to tell Kiyone to bring you some food anyways. I'll ask her to bring something that will be easy for you to digest. Please eat. I have a personal interest in your treatment." Jushiro smiled and nodded. Retsu returned the sweet smile with one of her own. She placed a hand on his forehead and slowly moved it down to his cheek where it lingered for a moment. She then leaned down to give the bedridden man a soft peck on the forehead.

If he had been able to find the energy, Jushiro would have grabbed the woman right then and pulled her down for a real kiss. Even though circumstances had never let them be together publically, behind closed doors the love could be easily seen.

As Retsu pulled away and began to take her leave, Jushiro grabbed her wrist to stop her. He looked up at the woman with earnest and sincere eyes before gathering the strength to say, "Thank you". If one looked close enough, they were able to see the light pink tint that came to her cheeks as he gave her hand a gentle, tender kiss.

* * *

**Shunsui  
**

Shunsui didn't know if the clock in the hospital room was wrong, if he had been driving a little too fast or if it was a combination of the two. Either way, Shunsui made it to Karakura High School a minute or two before a handful of students burst through the doors, eager to leave the two hour long tutoring session. It was fairly easy to spot Toshiro amidst the chattering teenagers. His snow white hair was hard to miss no matter what the crowd size.

Shunsui watched from his rear view mirror as Toshiro said goodbye to Yuzu Kurosaki. They still seemed be getting along quite well despite the rift that had formed between him and her sister. This rift also seemed to be holding strong as both Toshiro and Karin completely ignored one another when she passed him and Yuzu and started to walk toward her home, which was only a block away. After Yuzu turned and started to chase after her twin, Toshiro made his way to Shunsui's squad car.

"Hello there little genius," Shunsui warmly greeted his godson as he climbed into the passenger's seat.

"Hey, Shuu-jisan. Thanks for picking me up again."

"Nothing to it. You know I'm always willing to help my best friend out."

"Did you go see Juu-jisan today? How's he doing?"

"I think he's healing well. He was talking a little today but he's still very sore when he does. Doctor Unohana was coming to check on him when I left. If you want to, I can take you to see him. I'm sure he's still awake." Toshiro shook his head. He hated seeing his uncle hooked up to tubes and machines. He preferred not to go to the hospital at all, but he knew that his uncle would miss him if he didn't. Plus, he'd miss Jushiro too.

"No, that's okay. I'll go see him tomorrow before school."

Although he had no children, Shunsui had often thought about starting a family of his own thorough the years but it never seemed to be the right time for him. In his twenties, he was more concerned about graduating from college and partying and having all sorts of wild fun. In his thirties, his focus was solely on cultivating his career as a Karakura City police agent.

Now that he was in his mid-forties, he could see himself at a place where he might find the willpower to settle down and start a family. That's how he felt in his heart anyway. His much more prominent rational side convinced him that it was too late for him to start a family. Even if he were to marry Lisa now and she got pregnant right away, he would be forty seven years old before he even caught sight of his first born. Meaning that he would be about sixty five years old when the child went off to college. That's only if they had one child. Could he really see himself raising teenagers in his seventies?

That's why Shunsui was happy to have Toshiro as his godson. Having known the youth since he was two years old, it was almost as if he were his own son. He could still remember the first time he saw the boy. It was at Karakura General Hospital. He was covered in bandages from the car accident that managed to kill Jushiro's sister and her husband. Yet despite the fact that he was injured, not truly cognizant of the fact that his parents were dead, Toshiro had the happiest, brightest smile on his face when he saw his Uncle Jushiro come into to his hospital room. The scene and the weight of the child's situation almost brought tears to both men's eyes, but they managed to keep strong faces in front of him.

Because of having been his godson ever since Jushiro became his guardian almost thirteen years prior, Toshiro and Shunsui grew to have a very close relationship. Toshiro would often tell Shunsui things that he wouldn't dare tell his uncle. Shunsui supposed that this was because he was more laid back and less conservative than his friend.

"Shuu-jisan, we have a game coming up in a few weeks. You think you'll be able to make it?"

"I'll try my best. Things have been crazy lately at the station and now with another captain gone, the workload will increase. But I'll see if I can make time to see you miss goals." Toshiro smirked.

"I'm better than you think."

"Good, I'm glad you've gotten better; because in middle school, you were missing goals left and right." Shunsui laughed when he saw the fifteen year -old's face turn pink from embarrassment. Toshiro never liked talking about or remembering his first two years as a soccer player. To say that he was horrendous would be an understatement.

"I've greatly improved. Karin helped me a lot our last year at Mashiba Middle and Lilynette is helping me a lot now."

"I see. Speaking of Lilynette, how are things going with her?" Toshiro's blush faded and a happy smile spread across his face.

"They're going pretty good. She's so wonderful. I think I may be in love with her." Shunsui nodded and sighed. _So, it seems as if he has fallen in love for the first time. This is going to make this conversation very difficult_.

"I see. Well . . . you know that your uncle doesn't approve of this relationship, right?" Toshiro rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, he's definitely made that clear."

"Well, neither do I." Toshiro looked at his godfather with shocked eyes. As laid back as Shunsui was, he would have never expected him to voice his disproval of his relationship with Lilynette. If anything, he thought that he'd be supportive of it. Shunsui glanced over at him and smirked. "Don't look so shocked. Surely you didn't think I'd be okay with you dating a girl that gives you kusa, now do you?" Toshiro stared down at his phone and pretended to be looking for a text.

"So you know about that?"

"Of course I do. Even if Jushiro hadn't told me, those red eyes you've been sporting lately are a dead giveaway."

"Shuu-jisan, I – "

"No, no wait. Before you try to argue with me, hear me out." Toshiro bit his bottom lip, his frustration slowly starting to build. Why couldn't those geezers see that he was in love with Lilynette? Nonetheless out of respect, he quietly listened to what his elder had to say. "Your uncle and I are in agreement with regards to this. I can't really get too detailed with what's going on, but Lilynette really _is_ a dangerous girl to be around. Her brother is involved in one of the largest drug cartels on the planet." Toshiro's mouth dropped.

"What? Starrk-san is _that big_ of a dealer?"

"Yep."

"I always thought he was just a regular back alley type dealer. I would have never thought he was in a cartel."

"He definitely is, so maybe you can start to see why your uncle and I are warning you about Lilynette. No matter what, it is a dangerous situation for you to be in. Coyote Starrk might have an altercation with our agents, or a rival cartel or even within his own cartel; all of which could prove to be fatal. You don't want to get caught up into any gunfire, would you?" Toshiro shook his head. "And even if you don't get shots fired your way, there is always the highly likely possibility that one of my officers would catch you with possession of marijuana. That could cost you several years in prison." Toshiro let the words of his godfather resonate within him for a few moments. Was his predicament really that serious? He thought that he and Lilynette were just having fun. A beer or two here and there; the routine afterschool blazing session. But to hear that these fun activities could potentially cost him his life were quite frightening. Still . . .

"I just think that you should respect your uncle's wishes on this. He's already gone through enough stress with this surgery and worrying about what you're doing in your free time is the last thing he needs right now." _That_ _ought to do it_, Shunsui thought to himself as he saw a guilty look take control of the boy's features. He knew that an appeal to the boy's emotions would be successful in getting him to maintain his distance from Lilynette.

"Alright," Toshiro finally agreed. "I'll break things off with Lilynette tonight."

"Alright."

"But can you please do me a favor?" Shunsui regarded the boy as he looked up at him with pleading, turquoise eyes. "Please? For me?"

"I need to know what it is first."

"Please try to save Lilynette and keep her out of danger. I'll stay away from her, but I won't stop loving her. I want her to be safe as well. So please, try to get her and Starrk-san out of the cartel." Shunsui never expected for Toshiro to ask him that. At first thought, his response was to deny the request. He had just gotten a hot lead on an Espada member and he would be a fool to let it go to waste. However, the boy's innocent request triggered something in the bearded man's head. Perhaps making some sort of deal with Starrk would lead him directly to Aizen. He didn't know how high Starrk ranked in the Arrancar cartel, but surely he had to be of _some_ value to Sosuke.

"Alright. I'll do my upmost to help them." Toshiro's face lit up and a smile crossed his lips.

"Honest? You promise you'll help them?"

"Yes, I promise. I swear on everything that I will get them out of the cartel."

* * *

**Ichigo  
**

It had been a little over a week since the undercover investigation at Reina de Rosas and Ichigo was still feeling both guilt and embarrassment from the incident. Although Renji tried his best to convince him that it was only a hand job, Ichigo still felt in his heart of hearts that he had cheated on Rukia. She was his first time and his first love. She was the only woman that he wanted in his life. He felt so guilty that every time he looked at his fiancé, he would have flashbacks of that day in that little massage room. However what horrified him the most was that he actually _enjoyed_ Cirucci's hand job. The way her slick hands stroked his shaft and teased his balls, the way she made him come so hard; it was all so very pleasurable. It might have been the best hand job he had ever received.

"Ack! No! No, no no no NO!" Ichigo clutched his orange mane and rapidly shook his head, trying his best to clear his dirty thoughts.

"Uh? Ichigo?" Ichigo looked up at the face of his superior, Shinji Hirako, who was staring at him with a confused expression. It was then that Ichigo remembered that he was sitting at Urahara's with Shinji, Ikkaku, Renji, Byakuya and Shunsui for a late Friday night get together. "You okay there?" Ichigo sat erect and stared at the confused expressions on his four companions. Byakuya looked stoic as always. He nervously nodded his head and awkwardly smiled.

"Mhm!" He replied in a high pitched voice. Renji pursed his lips together and tried his best not to burst out into laughter. He could easily figure out that Ichigo was thinking about the hand job again. He always blacked out into that moment whenever anyone would mention the words "Reina de Rosas".

What started out as a botched undercover investigation turned into one of the funniest events that had ever happened at KCPD. When Shinji, Kenpachi and Shunsui were informed of what happened, all three were surprisingly not very upset by the news. Renji supposed that they all knew that Ichigo was still very green and lacking some of the basic common sense that the other officers had. When it came to informing Byakuya about what happened, Renji made up an excuse saying that Ichigo accidentally dropped his police badge out of his clothing. He didn't mention the hand job at all. However, the redhead had yet to come up with a legitimate reason to satisfy Rukia's interrogations as to why her boyfriend had been acting so peculiar lately.

"Okaaay . . ." Shinji continued, staring at Ichigo as if he had three heads. "Like I was saying, if we do plan on going about a raid on this place, what would be the best strategy? I know that we probably need to do it fairly soon. I'm one hundred percent sure that Aizen has had some updates on our activities since it appears that most of Las Espadas have come to Japan."

"Yes, I'm sure he has too," Shunsui agreed, absentmindedly stroking his beard. "It would be easier to go about this if the NPA would formally get involved, but they keep delaying their visit. Ideally, I want to do the raid within the next two weeks. It should take about a week to get approval from Central 46."

"Soutaicho, do you think we should do another investigation in the meantime?" Byakuya asked. "We need to make sure that Reina de Rosas doesn't try to cover itself and destroy any evidence that they are prostituting their workers."

"No, that won't be necessary," Shunsui replied. "Maybe the _day of_ the raid we might send in some undercover agents in advance but in the meantime, I don't want to risk another botched investigation. I think what I'll do is after we receive conformation from Central 46, I'll send in Stations Two and Five to do the raid itself."

"Don't shend Shtation Five," Ikkaku suddenly said, his voice slurring after drinking a little too much Kazeshini. "Ishigo ish with Shation Five ain't he? You want that dumb ash to fuck things up again?" Ichigo turned and starred at Ikkaku with panicky eyes. Ikkaku was known to be very honest when he was drunk. Any secret you had ever told him was always threatened to be revealed.

"I-It was an honest mistake, Ikkaku," Ichigo said, his tone very uneasy. "Dropping your badge in front of the suspect could happen to anyone."

"That's right," Renji agreed. "It's not like you've never _dropped your badge_ before, Ikkaku." Renji kept glancing at his captain, hoping that his intoxicated friend would catch the hint, but his confused expression left doubts.

"What are you talking about?"

"You remember when Ichigo _dropped his badge_ at Reina de Rosas. You can't be _that_ drunk that you don't remember."

"Yea, _dropping my badge_ is a mistake I'll never make again." It was then that Ikkaku got what his two red head friends were hinting.

"Oh! I undersh . . . undersh . . . got it now! You want me to shay that Ishigo dropped hish badge in front of Kushiki-taisho! Okay, I won't tell him that Ishigo really got a hand job from that chick!"

Shinji threw his head back and groaned, Renji face palmed, Shunsui tried not to laugh and Ichigo looked absolutely horrified. Byakuya immediately set down the glass of water that was currently to his lips and locked eyes on Ichigo, who had broken out into a nervous sweat.

"You what?" Ichigo couldn't even find the words to defend himself. Byakuya's death glare had effectively silenced him. "You got a hand job at Reina de Rosas?" The raven haired captain then turned his hard eyes on his subordinate. "Don't tell me that you lied to me, Renji."

"I'm sorry, taicho!" Renji immediately blurted out, lowering his head to avoid the death glare. "I thought it was best that you didn't know all of the details, considering the situation."

"So you decided that lying to your superior was the best recourse of action?"

"I'm very sorry, taicho!" Byakuya sighed and put a hand to his forehead. He couldn't believe that Renji had been able to lie to him so well. Maybe that's what made him good at undercover assignments. But a part of him actually wished that the truth had never been told. Byakuya already knew that Rukia did know the truth, as Ichigo was still amongst the living. Now he had been put in a precarious position like the others. A part of him wanted to tell her since he did not like to keep secrets from her. The other part of him said that it wasn't his place to tell her. Not only that, he didn't want to risk upsetting her while she was still expecting.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, I won't tell Rukia what happened." A wave of relief and shock showered Ichigo at that moment. He had fully expected Byakuya to give him a good whack over the head like he did when he found out Rukia was pregnant. A relived smile spread across the teen's lips.

"Thank you, Byakuya."

* * *

**Byakuya  
**

"Oh my, oh my, look at you. Kuchiki-taicho, you are looking _absolutely_ sickening today." Byakuya quirked a refined brow as he regarded the flamboyant drag queen that had come to join him at the bar at Urahara's after just finishing up his routine Saturday night performance.

"Sickening? I hope that is a compliment."

"Oh it is, trust me. I could never insult a man with such beauty like yours." Byakuya remained poised despite the fact that Charlotte was blatantly flirting with him. He had grown accustomed to being hit on by members of both sexes over the years that the queen's attraction to him did little to shake him.

"I presume that you already know why I asked to meet with you." Charlotte nodded as he took a sip of the water the bartender had set in front of him.

"Yes, the boss told me that you've wanted to talk to me about the Arrancar cartel. Sorry I've been delaying the meeting, honey. As you probably have heard, I've been a little sick." The muscular man put a fancy manicured hand to his throat and cleared it for emphasis.

"Yes, I was informed."

"What exactly would you like to know? I'm an open book and willing to tell you anything."

"My lieutenant and I were summoned to a gruesome crime scene not too long ago and I believe that some of Las Espadas were involved. I would like for you to tell me what you know about Zommari Rureaux and Nnoitra Jiruga. I want to know about the specific purpose Aizen has for them, their disposition, and their behavior; basically anything that can give me an idea of how to find and capture them." Charlotte stared blankly in the space in front of him in thought.

"Well, I haven't been around either too much so I don't know a lot about them. But I can help you out with Zommari-kun a little better than I can with Nnoitra-kun."

"That is fine. At this point, any information is better than no information."

"Well for starters, Zommari-kun is a bit of a loner, so if you ever do see him, it is unlikely that any of the other Espadas will be with him. He's an intellectual type of guy and the last I heard, he was trying to enroll at the University of Tokyo."

"Okay."

"He's also very political and has a liberal viewpoint on things. Back in Colombia, he would often go to anti-government rallies and to other unfabulous political hooplas. I'm pretty sure he's active in Japanese politics too since he lives here now."

"He's an official citizen or an illegal immigrant?"

"No, he's here legally. Aizen-sama found a way to grant us all dual citizenship in Colombia and in whatever country he assigned us to. That's how come it's so easy for the Arrancar cartel to operate. Aizen-sama has many fabulous friends in high places. But yeah, like I was saying, I think those are the best places to catch Zommari. I'm not exactly sure where he's living now or his number or anything like that. I'm sorry, darling."

"No, it's fine. This at the very minimum gives me some idea of his thinking habits and behavioral pattern. Believe it or not, it is mildly useful. Thank you very much."

"Anytime, beautiful. I'm sorry that I can't be of more use to you with Nnoitra-kun, but I know someone who can. Her name is Nel and she got out of the cartel three years ago, around the same time that I did. She _actually_ used to _be_ one of Las Espadas." The nobleman's eyebrows lifted.

"Really?"

"If I'm lying, I'm frying," Charlotte said playfully. After he grabbed a napkin from the dispenser and asked the bartender for a pen, the performer wrote down some information. Byakuya immediately read the writing after he was finished. "That's the last phone number that I know that Nel had. It might not be her current number but you can give it a shot." Byakuya nodded as he put the number in his back pocket.

"Thank you for your time, Charlotte." He extended his hand for a friendly handshake but soon withdrew it when the queen held on for just a little too long. Charlotte giggled as he watched the man walk out of the restaurant.

-.-.-.-

"What in the hell was that?!"

"I – I was dancing like you asked me to, Sakanade-san."

"No you're not. I didn't tell you to shake your ass like that. Did you forget that I'm a jazz musician? When is the last time you saw twerking during a jazz performance?" The backup dancer bit her lip and quietly shied away from the blonde's rant. The lanky woman sighed deeply. "I don't mean to be rude, but you all need to get it together. The curtain rises in twenty minutes and you all are still not in sync. Now do it again."

The four backup dancers and singers nodded their heads simultaneously as they began to sing and dance to the tune that Sakanade played on her Selmer SBA saxophone. However, the popular jazz musician quickly stopped as a familiar face that she had not seen in some years came to greet her. A toothy grin spread across her lips as she immediately ran over to the woman and her companion.

"Yoruichi! I'm so glad you're here!"

"Hey Sakanade. It's been such a long time!"

"I know! Gosh, you look great. I guess all of that Olympic training paid off, huh? Your body is a-ma-zing." Yoruichi giggled.

"Oh stop it. You flatterer."

"It's not flattering, it's the truth."

"Well, thank you for the compliment. Hey, there's someone I want you to meet." Yoruichi grabbed Byakuya by the hand and pulled him forward a step or two. "This is one of my closet friends, Byakuya Kuchiki." Sakanade gave the tall and slender man a good once-over.

"Kuchiki? Hm, sounds like I've heard that name before. You wouldn't be related to Chief Prosecutor Ginrei Kuchiki, would you?"

"Yes, he's my grandfather."

"Oh? Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Kuchiki-san."

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Sakanade-san. I'm a big fan of your music." Sakanade's brown eyes lit up.

"Oh really?"

"Yeah he is," Yoruichi confirmed. "He has all of your records and cds. He's been a fan of yours for years."

"Awww, that's so sweet of you to support me like that," Sakanade said with a happy smile. "Tell you what, since you seem to be my number one fan, what song would you like me to play tonight? What's your favorite song by any artist, Kuchiki-san."

"In a Sentimental Mood." Sakanade almost let an amused giggle slip past her lips because when Byakuya gave his response, Yoruichi mouthed it at the same exact time.

"Coltrane and Ellington huh? I haven't played Coltrane in a while so it'll be a nice change. Okay, you got it Kuchiki-san."

"Thank you very much."

"It's no problem. Now scoot you two. I need to finish rehearsing with my singers."

Katen Kyokotsu was a very sophisticated and upscale R&B and Jazz lounge that was very popular with the 25 and up crowd. It had a very relaxed atmosphere and the dim lighting provided sensual and intimate feeling. The lounge had two floors. The main floor consisted of a modest sized dance floor, a bar with an extensive liquor selection and a few booths and tables where people could relax and enjoy their company. The second floor balcony was completely filled with tables and three VIP sections. After signing some autographs from the patrons who had recognized her, Yoruichi led Byakuya upstairs to her VIP section. They would be the only two in there for the night.

"Ah, I haven't been here in a while," Yoruichi said smiling as she took a seat on the large and comfortable sofa. "I had forgotten how nice it was in here."

"Yes, that is why I enjoy coming here. Although I have to say that it's even nicer in the VIP section."

"Isn't it though! It's tough on the body, but being an Olympic gold medalist does have its perks." Byakuya smirked as he regarded the woman next to him, dressed in a formfitting gold dress and sprawled out on the couch. It amazed him that even though Yoruichi was now a celebrity, she didn't care how unladylike she was currently sitting. He was even able to catch glimpses of the red panties she wore underneath. It was as if she had forgotten what hounds the paparazzi could be. However, Byakuya figured that she didn't really care since the VIP section was pretty much closed off to the other customers and the lighting around them was very dim.

The duo enjoyed Sakanade's performance as the young woman performed her music for about forty minutes. When she began to play Byakuya's favorite song, he looked over toward Yoruichi who was staring wistfully at the couples on the dance floor, slow dancing to the song. He didn't even have to ask if she wanted to dance. The look in her eyes told him that she did. Standing, Byakuya extended his hand. "Come on." She didn't have to be asked twice. The excited smile glued to her face and the enthusiastic "ok" proved that she was more than ready to dance with the man.

Yoruichi quietly followed his lead out to the very middle of the dance floor where it seemed like space was automatically made for them. Staring into each other's eyes for a few seconds, the athletic woman wrapped her arms around his neck while he slipped his around her waist. Following his lead again, Yoruichi laid her head on his shoulder as Byakuya began to sway back and forth. He quietly sighed to himself as he inhaled the fruity scent of her shampoo.

"Don't try and grab my ass," Yoruichi teased in a soft whisper. Her warm breath against his neck sent tingles down his spine that made the wealthy man quiver ever so slightly. Byakuya rolled his eyes.

"Only you could think of such lewd behavior in such a classy environment." Yoruichi chuckled.

"I was only joking. You don't have to take things so seriously all of the time."

"I'm not dumb. I've known you long enough to know when you're joking and when you're serious."

"That's good to know. I wish I could say the same. You're so hard to read sometimes. And your sense of humor is so dry that I honestly don't know how to react to some of the things you say. It's so frustrating."

"Oh? I didn't know demons could feel that way." Yoruichi rolled her eyes and smirked.

"Like I said, you have the driest humor ever, I swear." A small grin came across Byakuya's placid face although his companion could not see.

"Just shut up and listen to the song."

* * *

**Renji  
**

The fact that the line outside of Fuji Kujaku was about an hour wait, it did nothing to change Renji's mind about going to the club. The cop already knew that as soon as he and his date walked up to the front of the line, he would have no problems getting inside. That was one of the benefits of knowing DJ Kon. DJ Kon was a very popular DJ throughout Karakura City and the Tokyo prefecture. He worked at several clubs throughout the city: Nejibana, Fuji Kujaku, and of course the infamous Benihime. If you knew him, you were pretty much guaranteed to get entrance into any night club you desired.

This fact left a pretty good impression on Jackie, who was surprised when the bouncer actually let them inside. She had simply dismissed Renji's confidence as hot air. As she regarded the establishment, she noticed that it was a very good balance of upscale and relaxed. The patrons didn't behave too licentiously but they weren't too uptight either. It was exactly the type of club that Jackie liked.

"You want to dance?" The question by her much taller companion knocked her out of her daze. She shook her head.

"Uh, no. Not just yet anyways. How about we get a drink instead?"

"Alright."

It wasn't until three cocktails and five shots of Kazeshini did Jackie and Renji started to loosen up with one another. The two made amicable small talk as they enjoyed their drinks at the large bar. The liquid courage made the previous awkward atmosphere between them disappear altogether.

"You want to dance with me now?" Renji asked again after he felt that Jackie had become more comfortable being around him.

"Uh, naaah. I'm not really a dancer."

"Well, neither am I, but I hate to just sit around the bar all night long." Although still reluctant to agree, Jackie finally gave in after a minute or two.

"Oh, what the hell, let's go." A smirk came to Renji's lips as he grabbed Jackie by the hand and led her to the dance floor. He pulled her in front of him and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her backward until her hips were right against him. Jackie slowly but surely started to grind against him to the beat of the Che'Nelle song that DJ Kon was currently spinning. Once they started dancing, Jackie became more at ease around Renji. Although neither one of them were very good at dancing, they managed to stay on beat enough that it didn't look awkward. Renji was also respectful. He didn't try to take advantage of the close proximity between them and try to feel her up or touch her in unwanted places. He kept his hands on her waist or in her own hands the entire night.

-.-.-

After Renji and Jackie left the club, the twosome decided to stop by a local diner to get themselves a greasy meal to help ease their inebriated state. Although neither of them were sloppy drunk, both were intoxicated enough that they couldn't necessarily walk in a straight line. Since he was still in public, Renji wanted to sober up as best as he could and as fast as he could.

He could barely eat his burger and fries, however, on account of laughing so much as he and Jackie talked about all sorts of things. They behaved as if they had been friends all of their lives. It was a very enjoyable rapport between them

"It's kind of nice being able to hang out with someone who's halfway decent," Jackie said through chuckles. Renji gave her a "what?" look.

"Halfway? Wow, that's all I get?" Jackie smirked.

"Stop it, you know what I meant." Renji chuckled. "It's been a long time since I've been around good people. I had begun to think that no one existed like that anymore." Renji regarded the sad expression on the mocha hued woman's face. Her eyes told of the hurt and pain she had experienced in her young life.

"What do you mean by that?" Renji asked, curious to know more about the enigma that was Jackie Tristan. She sighed deeply before explaining.

"Well, I kind of grew up in a neighborhood like yours. I was surrounded by crime and drugs and all kinds of bad shit. My mother was a saint but my father got influenced by our neighborhood, so he wasn't really dad of the year. He was all the time moving things off and on the black market. All of my friends either got into drugs or gangs or got locked up in prison. I had one friend who was on her way to Harvard, but even she became a victim of the crime. Her boyfriend killed her about a week before she was to leave."

"That's awful."

"Yeah, I know. All my life I've been surrounded by thugs and crooks. That's why I swore to myself that I would make it out of that shit place and go see more of the world. Lucky for me, I was born smart so when I graduated high school, I received a full ride to any school of my choosing. So I decided to come to Japan to learn. I wanted to get as far away from Oakland as possible."

"You came all the way here to escape your bad past, but yet you still somehow managed to get mixed up with a criminal." Jackie smirked and face palmed.

"I know, it sounds pretty stupid when you say it out loud." Renji nodded.

"Yeah, it kinda does."

"But I honestly didn't know that Ginjo was a drug dealer when I met him. I met him right after I graduated from Todai. I needed a place to stay and he let me live with him if I worked for him at his bar. I honestly thought that it was a legitimate business, but it turns out that he was just using it as a cover. Well, he uses the one in Karakura City as a cover anyway."

"Why didn't you stop when you found out?"

"The money was so good that I couldn't say no. I couldn't bring myself to leave my new home and go back to that hell in Oakland. So I decided to work for him until I could find a job to support myself and move out. I finally did last year, but I still run things for Ginjo from time to time when I need a little extra cash." Renji nodded his head. While he did not agree with Jackie's law-breaking, he could empathize with her. He knew what it was like to grow up in a ghetto and how hard it could be to survive there. Even he and Rukia were guilty of stealing food and clothing from time to time just to get by. But while he could empathize with those who were still in the struggle, now that he was a cop, he simply could not turn a blind eye to crime.

"I still think you need to leave that guy alone. He's only using you to help himself. You have your whole life ahead of you. You shouldn't waste it to help that guy." Jackie smiled and nudged him on the side.

"Well I guess even you have a soul." Renji smirked as he looked down at the shorter woman. He stared into her eyes for a few moments. Usually by now, he would be all over his date. He would definitely waste no time going at Jackie if she offered. Her figure was amazing and her eyes were so honest and so soulful. However, it was something about Jackie that made him want to wait. He didn't want to hurry off to bed like he had with his other women. He wanted to know her on a more personal level. He wanted to know more about her as a person before he knew her as a woman.

At this thought, he turned to glance at the time on his phone. It was nearing two in the morning and he had to be at work by nine. "I think it's time to take you home," Renji said before a yawn revealed how tired he felt. Jackie's eyes widened when she looked at her own phone.

"Oh shit, I didn't know we'd been out that late. I got work in the morning."

"Yea, same here."

After paying for their meal, Renji and Jackie took a taxi to his place and he drove her to her apartment in Naruki City. After saying goodnight and driving back to his own place, Renji collapsed on his bed. He didn't even bother to take off his clothes. He was too exhausted from his night out with Jackie. However, he figured that he might get used to spending time with a woman like her. He had smiled with genuine happiness when she agreed to go out on a second date.

* * *

_**Oh could love be in the air for some of these couples? xD**_

_**The next update should be within a three week minimum since classes start back tomorrow. The next chapter will focus more on the police and the Arrancar cartel. Also, one of our officers and an Espada will get shot. That's all I'm going to say lol. Thank you all very much for reading!**_


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